Illinois Council on Long Term Care Professionals

The Illinois Council on Long Term Care provides the following links to pertinent long term care Internet sites in the categories listed below. Click one of the underlined topic areas below to automatically move down to the appropriate position on this page.

Aging/Clinical Links

Industry/Association Links

Federal/State Government Links

AARP. AARP is a nonprofit membership organization for people age 50 and over that delivers value to members through information, advocacy and service. The AARP is active in every state, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
http://www.aarp.org

Alliance for Aging Research. The Alliance for Aging Research is involved in developing, implementing and advocating programs in research, professional and consumer health education and public policy.
http://www.agingresearch.org

Alzheimer’s Association. This site provides information for caregivers, including local chapters as well as medical data. The site is sponsored by the Alzheimer’s Association of America.
http://www.alz.org

Alzheimer’s Disease Education and Referral (ADEAR) Center. The U.S. National Institute on Aging provides news about the latest research findings on Alzheimer’s disease, services for patients and their families, and links to Connections, ADEAR’s quarterly online newsletter.
http://www.alzheimers.org

American Physical Therapy Association, Section on Geriatrics. This site contains information about research, upcoming conferences, consumer information about geriatric physical therapy, and links to other health and geriatric related Internet sites. It is useful for therapists, geriatric clients, people considering careers in physical therapy, and anyone concerned with health care issues for the elderly.
http://www.geriatricspt.org

Arthritis Foundation. This site provides information about the Foundation and its local chapters, a list of answers to frequently asked questions about arthritis and instruction on ordering more detailed information.
http://www.arthritis.org

Center for Workplace Health: CTDNews: This site provides information on workplace repetitive motion and stress injuries and illnesses, including carpal tunnel syndrome to low-back pain. Specific information includes current CTD news, industry specific information and statistics, symptoms and prevention techniques, standards and guidelines, and a product marketplace.
http://www.ctdnews.com

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This site maintains an extensive Web site with information on disease prevention guidelines and strategies, with specific data and statistics, with project grant and funding information and with descriptions of training and employment opportunities.
http://www.cdc.gov

Diabetes, Digestive and Kidney Diseases. This site is sponsored by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Disease of the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH). A number of patient information documents are available dealing with these diseases, as well as news releases.
http://www.niddk.nih.gov

ErgoWeb, Inc. This companies commercial site is a good source for information on repetitive motion injuries. The company provides workplace evaluation and design tools as well as ergonomics related products. The site does provide free of charge a reference room that has many related OSHA documents and a ergonomics news update area.
http://www.ergoweb.com

Health Economics. This site is a comprehensive guide to health economics, pharmacy and medical resources on the Web. Many links are also provided for medical libraries, journals and databases.
http://www.healtheconomics.com

Incontinence on the Internet. This site provides useful information and referrals for both medical professionals and individuals wanting to learn about various incontinence-related products and how to obtain help. This is a commercial site.
http://IncontiNet.com

Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. This is a product of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention of the U.S. government and provides mainly statistical data on morbidity and mortality based on reports received from state health departments.
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr

National Alliance for the Mentally Ill. The NAMI is a grass roots, self-help, support and advocacy organization dedicated to improving the lives of people with severe mental illness and their loved ones. This site provides links to literature, links and other pertinent information regarding the mentally ill.
http://www.nami.org

National Breast Cancer Foundation. This site provides updates on events and activities, an interactive blog, information for increased awareness through education, where to receive diagnostic breast care services for those in need, and nurturing support services.
http://www.nationalbreastcancer.org/nbcf-events

National Council on the Aging, Inc. The NCOA is the nation's first association of organizations and professionals dedicated to promoting the dignity, self-determination, well being, and contributions of older persons. NCOA is an advocate for public policies, societal attitudes, and business practices that promote vital aging.
http://www.ncoa.org

National Institute of Health. This site is hosted by the U.S. National Institutes of Health. Among the resources found here are treatment guidelines for patients and professionals through a Physician Data Query system and fact sheets on various cancer topics. The information is updated monthly.
http://www.nih.gov

National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped. This site describes the free library program of Braille and recorded materials circulated to eligible borrowers through a network of cooperating libraries. Links to other libraries for the blind and physically handicapped individuals are provided.
http://www.loc.gov/nls

National Stroke Association. The National Stroke Association is the preeminent organization committed to fighting stroke in this country, providing national expertise and leadership for those at risk, suffering or recovering from this devastating condition. NSA is aggressively taking steps to reduce the incidence and impact of stroke and create greater awareness for stroke prevention.
http://www.stroke.org

Schizophrenia Home Page. This site provides news and information about schizophrenia, as well as updates on events. Additionally, the site addresses support and discussion groups, information for families and patients, and students and researchers.
http://www.schizophrenia.com

SeniorNet. This site promotes the use of computers among seniors. This site provides information about SeniorNet’s activities, publications and local learning centers. SeniorNet has been in operation since the mid-1980’s, and was the first dedicated effort to foster and promote the use of computers by older persons.
http://www.seniornet.org

American Association of Nurse Assessment Coordinators. The mission of the American Association of Nurse Assessment Coordinators (AANAC) is to improve the quality of care for residents/patients by providing health care professionals with accurate and timely information, education, networking, and advocacy related to clinical assessment and completion of federally mandated instruments.
http://www.aanac.org

American College of Health Care Administrators. This professional society site for long term care administrators provides information about the association, professional certification and state licensing as well as updates of upcoming events, publications and other member benefits.
http://www.achca.org

American College of Healthcare Executives. This professional society site contains information about the association, its members, relevant public policy issues, upcoming meetings, publications and educational opportunities. Additionally a career resource center has been developed for healthcare executives.
http://www.ache.org

American Geriatrics Society. This site is a generic home page for the AGS. Information is available about the organization, its publications and seminars and how to obtain membership information.
http://www.americangeriatrics.org

American Health Care Association. The American Health Care Association (AHCA) is a non-profit federation of affiliated state health organizations. AHCA represents the long term care community to the nation at large – to government, business leaders, and the general public. It also serves as a force for change within the long term care field, providing information, education, and administrative tools that enhance quality at every level.
http://www.ahca.org

American Hospital Association. The American Hospital Association (AHA) is the national organization that represents and serves all types of hospitals, health care networks, and their patients and communities. AHA provides education for health care leaders and is a source of information on health care issues and trends.
http://www.hospitalconnect.com

American Medical Association. The AMA site allows users to research information about the association, locate doctors on the AMA database, and browse their many publications, including the Journal of the American Medical Association. Additionally, the site provides information on medical science and education, membership and constituency groups, advocacy and communications, as well as links to other medical sites.
http://www.ama-assn.org

American Medical Directors Association. The American Medical Directors Association is the professional association of medical directors and physicians practicing in the long term care continuum, dedicated to excellence in patient care by providing education, advocacy, information, and professional development. AMDA currently has over 7,400 members and a database of over 2,000 attending physicians.
http://www.amda.com

American Nurses Association’s "Nursing World." This professional nursing association site features information about local and national membership, affiliated organizations (with links), publications, and legislative and professional news.
http://www.nursingworld.org

American Psychiatric Nurses Association. This site provides information about the association, as well as position papers; resources from APNA News; mental health consumers guide; and other practice resources. Additionally, the site provides updates on APNA's activities and events; reports from committees and task forces; and answers to questions from the membership.
http://www.apna.org

American Seniors Housing Association. The Senior Housing Information Project (SHIP) seeks to simplify the process of choosing appropriate housing, care and ancillary services through public education and awareness. Working with national and local service providers, healthcare associations as well as federal and state agencies, SHIP seeks to provide solutions to some of the challenging issues facing today's senior.
http://www.seniorhousing.org

American Society of Consultant Pharmacists. This site, designed for long term care consultant pharmacists, is a resource for pharmacy news, new government programs and government relations, meetings and products. "The Consultant Pharmacist," the ASCP newsletter is available in an online format.
http://www.ascp.com

Assisted Living Federation of America. The Assisted Living Federation of America (ALFA) is the largest association dedicated to the assisted living industry and the population it serves. ALFA represents over 6,000 for-profit and not-for-profit providers of assisted living as well as a diverse range of organizations involved in the assisted living industry.
http://www.alfa.org

Chicagoland Activity Professionals Association: The mission of Chicagoland Activity Professionals Association (CAPA) is to provide education, networking and professional enrichment opportunities to persons working in the activity field or those who are interested in the provision of therapeutic activities. The Chicagoland Activity Professionals Association`s education programs focus on the theory and practice of designing and providing Activities, Therapeutic Recreation, and Psychosocial interventions to enhance the functional abilities, self-esteem and quality of life for individuals within long term care, assisted living, retirement, hospital based SNF units and/or adult day services settings. The CAPA is dedicated to promoting the vital importance of Activity Therapy and in maintaining and improving the physical, mental and emotional well-being of persons across the health care continuum.
http://chicagolandactivities.org/

Dietary Managers Association. The Dietary Managers Association (DMA) has over 14,000 members nationwide and over 600 in Illinois. Members work in institutional food services with over 65% working in in long term care facilities.
http://www.dmaonline.org

ElderCare Web. This is a listing of names, addresses, phone numbers and WWW web pages for a number of associations that work with the elderly, their caregivers, or their healthcare providers.
http://www.elderweb.com

Geriatric Video Productions. This site provides educational resources for nurses and psychologists who work in geriatric settings. This is a commercial site.
http://www.geriatricvideo.com

Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations. This site, developed by the JCAHO, provides the healthcare community ready to access services and products. The site provides instructions on how to obtain information about organizations accredited by the Joint Commission and how to order performance reports on recently surveyed organizations.
http://www.jcaho.org

MDS 3.0 Technical Information: This site provides updates to the MDS 3.0, RAI manual, quality measures, MDS 3.0 training, etc.
http://www.cms.gov/Medicare/Quality-Initiatives-Patient-Assessment-Instruments/NursingHomeQualityInits/NHQIMDS30TechnicalInformation.html

National Association of Boards of Examiners of Long Term Care Administrators. NAB strives to enhance the effectiveness of state boards of long term care administrators in meeting their statutory and regulatory duties and responsibilities to protect the health, safety, and welfare of the public.
http://www.nabweb.org

National Association of Directors of Nursing Administration in Long Term Care. NADONA/LTC is the only professional non-profit association specifically serving Directors and Assistant Directors of Nursing in Long Term Care. NADONA/LTC seeks to enhance professional esteem for its members by establishing Standards of Practice for DONs in Long Term Care, as well as providing a Certification System for DONs.
http://www.nadona.org

National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA). The NCQA is an independent, not-for-profit organization dedicated to assessing and reporting on the quality of managed care plans, including health maintenance organizations (HMOs). NCQA’s efforts are organized around two activities, accreditation and performance measurement (report cards), which are complementary strategies for producing information to guide choice. In the future, these activities will be integrated.
http://www.ncqa.org

National Fire Protection Association. NFPA teaches people of all ages how to make responsible choices regarding fire health and safety. The mission of the NFPA is to reduce the worldwide burden of fire and other hazards on the quality of life by providing and advocating scientifically-based consensus codes and standards, research, training and education.
http://www.nfpa.org

National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization. The National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO) is the oldest and largest nonprofit membership organization representing hospice and palliative care programs and professionals in the United States. The organization is committed to improving end-of-life care and expanding access to hospice care with the goal of profoundly enhancing quality of life for people dying in America and their loved ones.
http://www.nhpco.org

Service Employees International Union. SEIU is the nation’s largest health care union, representing more than 755,000 health care workers, including 110,000 nurses and 20,000 doctors who are helping to create a health care system that puts patients first and gives health care workers the time and support they need to provide quality care.
http://www.seiu.org

Administration on Aging. This is the site of the U.S. federal government agency responsible for taking the lead in issues dealing with older Americans. It incorporates considerable information useful to older Americans, including listings of state agencies on aging, AoA regional offices, the Eldercare locator, a statistical profile of older Americans, information about the Older Americans Act, the National Institute on Aging’s Age Pages, and more.
http://www.aoa.gov

Administration on Aging (Area Agencies on Aging): This site provides links to the Area Agencies on Aging (AAA) by state. The AAAs are responsible for publicly-sponsored aging programs within each state.
http://www.aoa.gov/AoA_programs/OAA/How_To_Find/Agencies/find_agencies.aspx

Agency for Health Care Policy and Research. This site is provided by AHCPR, and and is an online guide to their research. Health practice guidelines and consumer information packets are available through the site, as well as past, current and future research projects. Additionally information regarding federal healthcare research grants is available.
http://www.ahcpr.gov

Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. This site provides an overview of Medicare and Medicaid policy, consumer literature about Medicare, announcements and a telephone directory of central office staff.
http://www.cms.hhs.gov

CMS Manuals:
MDS-RAI Manual: http://www.cms.gov/Medicare/Quality-Initiatives-Patient-Assessment-Instruments/NursingHomeQualityInits/MDS30RAIManual.html
State Operations Manual: http://www.cms.gov/Regulations-and-Guidance/Guidance/Manuals/Internet-Only-Manuals-IOMs-Items/CMS1201984.html

Federal Register. NARA ensures, for the citizen and the public servant, for the President and for the Congress and the Courts, ready access to essential evidence. It enables people to inspect for themselves the record of what government has done. It enables officials and agencies to review their actions and helps citizens hold them accountable. It ensures continuing access to essential evidence that documents the rights of American citizens, the actions of federal officials, and the national experience.
http://www.archives.gov

Federal Register and Code of Federal Regulations. The federal government makes available the Federal Register and the Code of Federal Regulations as well as other documents online through the National Archives and Records Administration. The Federal Register is published Monday through Friday and is available online on the day that it is published.
http://www.gpoaccess.gov/nara/index.html

FedWorld. This site provides access to more than 130 U.S. government bulletin boards. In its telephone-accessible, non-Internet form, this was the first public U.S. government online system to provide a single point of entry to the many separate agency "bulletin board systems" or BBSs, as well as to several libraries of downloadable files. This site is managed by the National Technical Information Service within the Department of Commerce.
http://www.fedworld.gov

General Accounting Offices. The General Accounting Office is the audit, evaluation, and investigative arm of Congress. GAO exists to support the Congress in meeting its Constitutional responsibilities and to help improve the performance and ensure the accountability of the federal government for the American people. GAO examines the use of public funds, evaluates federal programs and activities, and provides analyses, options, recommendations, and other assistance to help the Congress make effective oversight, policy, and funding decisions.
http://www.gao.gov

Healthcare and Family Services: This site provides information about the qualifications for financial assistance for residents residing in nursing homes within Illinois. There are links to other information regarding couples with a spouse living in the community, supportive living program, and pathways to living in the community.
http://www.cms.gov/Regulations-and-Guidance/Guidance/Manuals/Internet-Only-Manuals-IOMs-Items/CMS1201984.html

Major Laws and Regulations Affecting HFS Operations: http://www2.illinois.gov/hfs/agency/LawsRules/Pages/default.aspx
Smart Act in Illinois: http://www2.illinois.gov/hfs/agency/Pages/Budget.aspx

Illinois Activity Professionals Association (IAPA): The Illinois Activity Professionals Association (IAPA) was founded in 1979 as a not-for-profit organization. IAPA strives to meet the needs and interests of activity professionals working within nursing homes, as well as retirement, adult day care services, senior centers, assisted living facilities, hospitals and mental health settings across Illinois.
http://www.illinoisactivities.org/

Illinois Department on Financial and Professional Regulation: This site provides users with the ability to renew their licenses, download application forms, and check on the licenses of those applying to work in nursing facilities.
http://www.idfpr.com/

Illinois Department of Professional Regulation. This site providers users with the ability to renew their licenses, download application forms, and check on the licenses of those applying to work in nursing facilities.
http://www.idfpr.com/

Illinois Department of Public Health. This consumer oriented site has been developed by the State of Illinois. It contains information for customers regarding IDPH news, statistics, and press releases. Additionally, public records such as birth and death certificates and listings of local Public Health offices are available. This site does not contain any pertinent information for providers as of yet. According to the Department, there are plans for an expansion of the site.
http://www.idph.state.il.us

Title 77, Chapter I, Part 300 Skilled Nursing and Intermediate Care Facilities Code: http://www.ilga.gov/commission/jcar/admincode/077/07700300sections.html

All Public Health Laws and Rules: http://www.idph.state.il.us/rulesregs/rules-indexhome.htm#Health%20Care%20Facilities

Disqualifying Convictions in Accordance with the HEALTH CARE WORKER BACKGROUND CHECK ACT [225 ILCS 46]: http://www.idph.state.il.us/nar/disconvictions.htm

Illinois Department on Aging. The mission of the Illinois Department on Aging is to serve and advocate for older Illinoisans and their caregivers by administering programs and promoting partnerships that encourage independence, dignity and quality of life.
http://www.state.il.us/aging

Medicare. This is the official government site for Medicare. It contains information for consumers and providers. Provider information includes a technical overview of the program; information on managed care and Medicare; fraud and abuse; basic statistics; professional and technical publications, including program manuals and newsletters; and information on the integrity of the overall program.
http://www.medicare.gov

National Association of Activity Professionals (NAAP): The Mission of NAAP is to provide excellence in support services to Activity Professionals through education, advocacy, technical assistance, promotion of standards, and peer and industry relations.
http://naap.info/

National Association of Activity Professionals Credentialing Center (NAAPCC): The NAAP Credentialing Center is organized as an independent body exclusively for the purpose of certifying Activity Professionals that meet the standards and requirements set forth by the Center and have successfully passed the competency exam. More specifically certification by this body will assure that the individual will meet the criteria required by CMS F-Tags 249 and 281 to direct quality of life programming for seniors and others that they serve.
This option is open to all Activity Professionals working in Activities/Recreation with the elderly. Activity Professionals have the option of certification as an Activity Professional - Board Certified (AP-BC) or an Activity Consultant - Board Certified (AC-BC).
http://naapcc.net/

National Institute on Aging. The National Institute on Aging (NIA) leads a broad scientific effort to understand the nature of aging and to extend the healthy, active years of life. In 1974, Congress granted authority to form the National Institute on Aging to provide leadership in aging research, training, health information dissemination, and other programs relevant to aging and older people. Subsequent amendments to this legislation designated the NIA as the primary federal agency on Alzheimer’s disease research.
http://www.nih.gov/nia

National Institutes of Health. NIH is the steward of medical and behavioral research for the Nation. Its mission is science in pursuit of fundamental knowledge about the nature and behavior of living systems and the application of that knowledge to extend healthy life and reduce the burdens of illness and disability.
http://www.nih.gov

Nursing Home Compare. The primary purpose of Nursing Home Compare is to provide detailed information about the past performance of every Medicare and Medicaid certified nursing home in the country.
http://www.medicare.gov/NHCompare/home.asp

Occupational Safety & Health Administration. The mission of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is to save lives, prevent injuries and protect the health of America's workers.
http://www.osha.gov

Social Security Administration. This site includes an index to benefit information, an online edition of the U.S. Social Security Handbook on Benefits and Policies, a policy forum containing reports to Congress, testimony, SSA’s Annual Report to Congress, a statistical database about Social Security, and legislation affecting Social Security. You can also search for online documents produced by SSA. It provides links to SSA’s gopher server and other government agencies with information related to Social Security. Some of the information is also available in Spanish.
http://www.ssa.gov

State of Illinois Web Site. The official site for the state of Illinois includes links to information about: agencies, educational institutions, tourism, museums, libraries, legislative members, and the Capitol. All state agencies and departments, including the governor’s office are accessible through this main site. As of yet, individual legislators cannot be reached by e-mail, unless they have set up their own site.
http://www.state.il.us

Telligen – Quality Improvement Organization: Telligen is the Medicare Quality Improvement Organization (QIO) for the states of Iowa and Illinois, under contract with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The QIO Program is the largest federal program dedicated to improving health quality at the community level. We support CMS in their efforts to improve health for all Medicare beneficiaries, ensuring the right care at the right time, every time. During our current contract with CMS, Telligen is working with hospitals, providers, nursing homes, health care systems, home health agencies, hospices and comprehensive outpatient rehabilitation facilities on a number of initiatives aimed at improving the care provided to Medicare beneficiaries.

Each of Telligen's initiatives will result in:

• Better Patient Care
• Better Population Health
• Lower Healthcare Costs

http://www.telligenqio.org/

Thomas: Legislative Information on the Internet. This site provides full text of pending legislation and the Congressional record, as well as e-mail directories for House and Senate members.
http://thomas.loc.gov

U.S. Congress, Senate Special Committee on Aging. Since its founding in 1961, the Senate Special Committee on Aging has served as a focal point in the Senate for discussion and debate on matters relating to older Americans. Often, the Committee will submit its findings and recommendations for legislation to the Senate. In addition, the Committee publishes materials of assistance to those interested in public policies which relate to the elderly.
http://www.aging.senate.gov

Veterans Administration. The VA has developed this site to include press releases, announcements for veterans, lists of veterans services, organizations, job opportunities with the VA and the Government, and what's new on the VA server. Additionally there are sub pages on veterans benefits, facilities, special programs, VA organization, VA data, medical advances and VA links.
http://www.va.gov

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