Online & Support Groups

AARP Caregiving
Includes information on Nursing Homes, Alzheimer’s Disease, At-Home Care, Caregivers, Caring For Parents, Assisted Living and more

AARP Long Term Care Calculator
Fill in this form to calculate the cost of institutional medical care

A Place for Mom
Search by zip code for Senior Living, Assisted Living, Independent Living, Nursing Homes, and Alzheimer’s Care.

AbledBody
This news & media website serves the 54 million Americans and 20 million families touched by physical or mental disability. It’s a place where consumers can versead the latest disability-related happenings in technology, workplace, design and life/culture.

Accessibility in the News
This free weekly newsletter compiles accessibility articles & blogs, a list of accessibility conferences & training, accessibility job announcements, and a listing of accessibility resource pages.

AdultDayCare.org
They offer a nationwide directory of adult day care centers that you can search by zip code or city, in addition to a blog and other content about senior care and adult day care industries.  By utilizing adult day care, many seniors can remain living independently longer, without having to move into an assisted living or skilled nursing facility. The time spent at an adult day care not only offers social interaction and supervision for the elder, it gives the caretaker time for their own needs.

Aging 2.0
Aging2.0 strives to accelerate innovation to address the biggest challenges and opportunities in aging. It’s international, interdisciplinary and intergenerational community has grown to 40k+ innovators across 20+ countries. And it’s volunteer-run chapter network, which spans 90+ cities, has hosted more than 550 events around the world. Watch 2-min video.

AgingCare.com
An online community connecting people who care for elderly parents to other caregivers, personalized information, and local resources

AgingInPlace.com
A resource for people desiring to age the safety and comfort of home (wherever they call home). It’s a clean website by Critical Care Nurse, Patrick Roden, who holds a PhD in Human Development and Aging.

Aging-in-Place at home
Age-in-Place Products, Services, Ideas & Solutions. This website shows the benefits of universally designed housing & products, telecare technologies, and other assistive products.

Aging in Place Daily News
This daily newspaper is automatically generated by Twitter and Facebook postings.

Aging in Place Workbook
The MetLife Mature Market Institute presents this 16-page PDF guide to walk you through the the important steps and considerations as you look to make your home into a care setting.

Aging Parents and Elder Care
Provides elder care articles, advice, caregiving tools, support group, checklists and more for all stages of elderly aging and senior care

Alcohol Rehab and Recovery
Alco Rehab offers a free online guide to alcohol treatment and recovery.

Alzheimer’s Association
Global voluntary health organization in Alzheimer care and support, and a private, nonprofit funder of Alzheimer research

Alzheimer’s Foundation of America
AFA unites more than 1,600 member organizations from coast-to-coast that are dedicated to meeting the educational, social, emotional and practical needs of individuals with Alzheimer’s disease and related illnesses, and their caregivers and families.

Alzheimer’s Disease
World Report 2013

Alzheimer’s Reading Room
Promoted as the number one source of Alzheimer’s information and information on dementia, health, memory loss, and treatment for the entire Alzheimer’s and Dementia community worldwide. The goal of the Alzheimer’s Reading Room is to Educate and Empower.

AlzOnline
University program offering education, information and support.

Ambient Assisted Living Joint Programme
The objective of the AAL JP is to enhance the quality of life of older people and strengthen the industrial base in Europe through the use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT).

American Association for Respiratory Care
A not-for-profit, professional organization of 40,000 respiratory therapists, physicians, and other health care professionals

American Cancer Society
A nationwide community-based voluntary health organization dedicated to helping persons who face cancer and saving lives by helping people stay well, get well, find cures and fight back. Supports research, patient services, early detection, treatment and education. 

American Diabetes Association
Seeking to prevent and cure diabetes and to improve the lives of all people affected by diabetes

American Foundation for the Blind (AFB.org)
AFB serves people with vision loss, removing barriers, creating solutions, and expanding possibilities so they can achieve their full potential.

AFB Access World
AW, by the American Foundation for the Blind, provides Technology News for people who are blind or visually impaired.

American Heart Association
Seeking to build healthier lives, free of cardiovascular diseases and stroke

American Hospice Foundation
Seeking improve access to quality care & support of dying and grieving people of all ages

American Lung Association
Fighting for Air and working to save lives by improving lung health and preventing lung disease through Education, Advocacy and Research

American Society on Aging
Membership association working to enhance the knowledge and skills of those who seek to improve the quality of life of older adults and their families

American Stroke Association
Dedicated to prevention, diagnosis and treatment of strokes, America’s No. 3 killer and a leading cause of serious disability

American Telemedicine Association
ATA is an industry association promoting improvement in health care delivery through telecommunications and information technology.

Angie’s List
Find, rate and compare home service companies, medical facilities, and healthcare practitioners. Because you can easily tell thousands of other members about your experiences with a company, that’s great news for the companies that do good work – and not so great news for the companies that don’t – so members often get better service.

Asbestos.com, The Mesothelioma Center
Primarily caused by asbestos exposure, mesothelioma is a cancer that affects the lining of the lungs or abdomen and in some cases the lining of the heart. Symptoms resemble less serious conditions, which usually contributes to a late diagnosis. The Mesothelioma Center offers assistance through reading materials, a Doctor Match program, and Patient & Family Advocates that are available to discuss support options and answer your questions. Also check out resources under Mesothelioma, below.

Assisted Living Research Institute
Beyond raw data and information, AssistedLiving.org offers insights and solutions to problems seniors, caregivers and influencers face every day.

Benefits Check Up
A service of the National Council on Aging providing information about Benefit programs for seniors with limited income and resources

CareFlash.com
CareFlash provides patients and their loved ones a private & secure web community, featuring   narrated 3-D patient education resources, and rich features for engaging help from friends to assist through a health crisis or in eldercare.

Caregiver.com
Caregiver Media Group produces “Today’s Caregiver” magazine, topic specific newsletters, online discussion lists, an online store, and a searchable list of regional resources.

Caregiving.com
A community of caregivers sharing stories, support & solutions.

The Caregiver Partnership
A national retailer of home healthcare products such as adult diapers and incontinence supplies. They offer a well organized set of resource links and tips for managing urge urinary incontinence for those seeking medical evaluation and treatment.

Care Planners
“We make things easier by providing you one-on-one expert support when you need it most and a set of tools to keep you organized.”

Caring.com
Proving information & support for caregivers as they care for aging parents, spouses, and other loved ones.

Caring Across Generations
Connecting families and people with disabilities to protect all Americans’ right to choose the care and support they need.

Caring for a Senior
Provides a directory of nearby care providers by zip code, as well as articles and resources to help you understand your in-home care options.

Caring Right at Home
They offer in-home care and assistance including: nursing services, personal care, companion care, and specialty care such as like Alzheimer’s, diabetes and Parkinson’s, and hospice support.

thisCaringHome.org
This Caring Home provides tips and tools to enhance home safety for persons with Alzheimer’s and other types of dementia. Highlights include: Virtual Home, Product Guides, and Videos & Animations.

Center for Inclusive Design and Environmental Access (IDEA)
University at Buffalo School of Architecture & Planning is dedicated to making environments and products more usable, safer and healthier in response to the needs of an increasingly diverse population.

The Center for Social Gerontology
A non-profit research, training and social policy organization dedicated to promoting the individual autonomy of older persons and advancing their well-being in society

Center for Research and Education on Aging and Technology Enhancement (CREATE)
As a collaboration among three southern universities, CREATE strives to develop and evaluate interventions and design solutions to promote successful technology adoption among older adults.

Consumer Reports on “Your Medical Data and What You Need to Know”
Excellent 16-page PDF

Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance
A patient-run national mental health organization that sponsors support groups across the country and offers a comprehensive publications catalog.

Disability Resources
This non-profit organization monitors, reviews, and reports information about resources for independent living. Their mission is to promote and improve awareness, availability and accessibility of information that can help people with disabilities live, learn, love, work and play independently.

Eat Well Guide
Use this online resource to find fresh, healthy food & snacks while traveling on the road.

eHealth Forum
eHealth Forum is an online health community that attracts 2,300,000+ unique monthly visitors. The site hosts 200+ medical forums that generate user-based health information. The site is an interactive, 100% professionally moderated social network.

ElderCareLink
A private referral service that helps caregivers and families find the right eldercare options in their area.

ElderCareLocator
Government locator by zip code.

The Empowered Patient Coalition
Resources to help patients take control of their medical treatment.

E-Patients.net
E-Patients.net is the patient community of The Society for Participatory Medicine, a 501(c)3 public charity devoted to promoting the concept of participatory medicine by and among patients, caregivers and their medical teams and to promote clinical transparency among patients and their physicians through the exchange of information, via conferences, as well through the distribution of correspondence and other written materials.

Family Caregiver Alliance
The FCA is an organization that supports individuals and their family caregivers with a website that provides state-specific info on a variety of topics, services and resources.

Geriatric Mental Health Foundation
Working to raise awareness of psychiatric and mental health disorders affecting the elderly, eliminate the stigma of mental illness and treatment, promote healthy aging strategies, and increase access to quality mental health care for the elderly.

Good Samaritan Society
Evangelical Lutheran non-profit with a mission of providing shelter and supportive services to older persons and others in need.

GracefulAging.com
America’s leading video network for boomers and older adults. Discover great ways to a vibrant senior life and gain important caregiver advice on eldercare. Stay informed on assisted living. [You can also search YouTube.com for videos on a great many topics.]

HealthBoards
Dealing with a medical condition is often difficult, and connecting with others who are going through the same thing can make a world of difference. With over 700,000 registered members and over 6 million monthly visitors, HealthBoards.com is a place where you can make those connections. It provides over 220 message boards on various diseases, conditions, and health topics.

HealthCare.gov
This government website is managed by the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services to help you take health care into your own hands. Find insurance options. Learn about prevention. Compare care quality. Understand the law.

Healthcare Blue Book
Use Blue Book to search your zip code and find fair prices for surgery, hospital stays, doctor visits, medical tests and much more.

HealthCentral
HealthCentral empowers people to improve and take control of their health and well-being through more than 35 condition-and wellness-specific interactive health sites, including #1 HIV/AIDS site TheBody.com and healthy living resource Wellsphere.com.

HeartCenterOnline
Click on the Patients icon to read information and news about heart disease, risk factors, treatments, and patients’ stories. You can also sign up for their free weekly E-mail newsletter devoted to heart disease and treatments.

Heartmates
Heartmates offers online support to spouses and family members of people with heart disease. It’s geared more for wives of men with heart disease but still offers good advice, videos on recovery, and a helpful book, Heartmates: A Guide for the Spouse and Family of the Heart Patient.

HelpingYouCare
A Comprehensive Caregiver’s Resource, Support Community & Your Voice for Health Care Reform.

Home Care Technology Association of America (HVTAA)
Whether it is urging Congress to recognize home telehealth interactions as bona fide Medicare services or provide financial assistance to home care agencies to adopt health information technology (HIT) and implement electronic health records (EHR) or reimburse appropriate self-care technologies or finance a resource center for home telehealth technologies, the HCTAA is at the forefront of advocating for the advancement of technology in home health care.

HomeHealthCareAgencies.com
Search for home care agencies in your area by zip code.

HRSA
Government website to help you Find a Health Center, even if you have no health insurance. You pay what you can afford, based on your income.

The Informed Patient Institute
IPI is a non-profit working to ensure the public availability and use of actionable information about health care quality, patient safety and affordability to improve quality and lower costs.

InnovAge
With Centers in California, Colorado, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, and Virginia, InnovAge PACE (Program of All-inclusive Care for the Elderly) is an alternative to nursing facilities. It provides customized healthcare and social engagement to older adults to help them stay independent.

International Council on Active Aging
ICAA leads, connects and defines the active-aging industry and supports organizations and professionals that develop wellness environments and services for adults over 50. Its network spans 10,000 organizations managing 40,000 locations in 37 countries that cater to the health and well-being of older adults.

Latino Health Resource Guide
As they say, “Latinos are the fastest growing ethnic group in the United States, but remain largely underserved from a health care standpoint.” This guide is full of state and national resources for many of the biggest health care risks faced by the Latino community, in English and Spanish.

Leeza’s Place
Leeza’s Place is “A Place for Family Caregivers”; a community gathering place and resource center committed to providing free support services, resources and programs for family caregivers taking care of a loved one with a memory disorder or any chronic and/or progressive illness.

Light & Health Research Foundation (SOLG)
About the influence of Light on your sleep quality and overall health (CLICK British flag at top/right for English version)

LIVESTRONG FOUNDATION
This 501(c)(3) nonprofit offers practical information on what to expect from cancer. It looks at the experiences of the cancer community, finds problems, and develops solutions that it then rolls out to help others facing issues such as treatment concerns, emotional stress, insurance challenges, fertility preservation, and clinical trials. They have a free Guidebook.

Mayo Clinic’s social network
An online health community where members share their experiences and connect with others who’ve faced similar experiences.

Meals-on-Wheels
Find a local Senior Nutrition Program by zip code. These programs provide well over one million meals to seniors who need them each day. Some programs serve meals at congregate locations like senior centers, some programs deliver meals directly to the homes of seniors whose mobility is limited, and many programs provide both services.

Mental Health Advice & Articles
BetterHelp.com makes professional counseling accessible, affordable, convenient – so anyone who struggles with life’s challenges can get the help they need, anytime, anywhere. According to their website, they offer online access to licensed, trained, experienced, and accredited psychologists (PhD / PsyD), marriage and family therapists (LMFT), clinical social workers (LCSW / LMSW), and board licensed professional counselors (LPC).

Mesothelioma + Asbestos Awareness Center
An online resource with up-to-date information about mesothelioma and asbestos awareness, including the care, treatment, and community support for this rare cancer.

Mesothelioma Cancer Alliance
A leading web resource for those affected by asbestos cancer.

Mesothelioma Group
The Mesothelioma Group is a small team of healthcare professionals, patient advocates, and communication specialists with one goal: to lead the way in supporting and encouraging mesothelioma patients and their families. They do this through Education, Support Services & Financial Compensation.

Mesothelioma Guide
The mission of this free website is to guide mesothelioma patients and their loved ones toward answers, information, and healthcare solutions.

MesotheliomaSurvivors.org
Provides information for all aspects of this Asbestos-related disease and caregiving, from the leading medical information to real-life support for families and caregivers.

mHealth Alliance
Mobilizing Innovation for Glogal Health and working with diverse partners, the Alliance serves as a convener for the mHealth community to integrate mHealth into multiple sectors and overcome common challenges by sharing tools, knowledge, experience, and lessons learned.

Modern Health Talk
Award-winning website about solutions for safe, healthy and independent living at home, with over 500 articles, 1000 healthcare infographics, and hundreds of links to other online resources.

My Senior Care
Find senior living in your area by zip code.

National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys, Inc.
A professional association of attorneys dedicated to improving the quality of legal services provided to seniors and people with special needs

National Age in Place Council (AgingInPlace.org)
NAIPC a network of professionals from the private, public and non-profit sectors who can help you plan for your future housing and care needs.

National Alliance for Caregiving
A non-profit coalition of national organizations focusing on issues of FAMILY caregiving.

National Alliance for Hispanic Health
Advocates on behalf of Hispanics, help health and human service providers deliver quality, culturally-proficient care, and promote philanthropy.

National Association of Area Agencies on Aging
The umbrella organization for our nation’s 629 area agencies on aging. The Web site allows you to search for a local area agency on aging to help with home healthcare resources.

National Association for Home Care
Trade association representing the interests of home care agencies, hospices, and home care aide organizations

National Association of Professional Geriatric Care Managers
A geriatric care manager is a professional such as a nurse or a social worker who can assist with evaluating care needs, identifying community resources, and implementing and monitoring a care plan. Their Web site has searchable data to see if there is a care manager in your area.

National Center for Healthy Housing
NCHH brings the public health, housing, environmental, and regulatory communities together to combat disease and injuries caused by hazards in the home.

National Clearinghouse on the Direct Care Workforce
An online library for materials related to the direct-care workforce

National Council on Aging
NCOA is a national advocacy voice for older adults—especially those who are vulnerable and disadvantaged—and the community organizations that serve them.

National Family Caregivers Association
NFCA educates, supports, empowers and speaks up for the more than 65 million Americans who care for loved ones with a chronic illness or disability or the frailties of old age.

National Guardianship Association, Inc.
Working to advance the nationally recognized standard of excellence in guardianship

National Institute on Aging
The NIA has been at the forefront of the Nation’s research activities dedicated to understanding the nature of aging, supporting the health and well being of older adults, and extending healthy, active years of life for more people.

National Organization on Disability
NOD is a private, non-profit organization that promotes disability employment and the full participation of America’s 54 million people with disabilities in all aspects of life.

National Parkinson Foundation
Working to address the unmet needs in Parkinson’s care and treatment. Parkinson’s disease is the second most common neurodegenerative disease after Alzheimer’s, affecting about one million people in the United States and an estimated four million worldwide.

National Prevention Strategy (17:23 min YouTube video)
The U.S. Surgeon General talks about how preventive health care can help fight leading causes of death, and why it’s so hard for doctors to provide it. She presents America’s Plan for Better Health and Wellness.

National Sleep Foundation
Alerting the public, healthcare providers and policymakers to the life-and-death importance of adequate sleep is central to the mission of NSF. NSF is dedicated to improving the quality of life for Americans who suffer from sleep problems and disorders.

National Women’s Health Information Center
The federal government’s main information site about women’s health issues.

National Women’s Health Resource Center
A national clearinghouse of women’s health issues.

New LifeStyles
Whether looking for a nursing, retirement, or assisted living community, home care or something else, New LifeStyles can help seniors and their loved ones make the best decisions to fit their needs.

NextStepInCare
Caregivers can download a variety of patient-care tools that instruct how to give better care.

PACE
The Programs of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE), a government program that varies by state, provides comprehensive medical and social services to certain frail, community-dwelling elderly individuals, most of whom are dually eligible for Medicare and Medicaid benefits. PACE uses a comprehensive care approach, providing an array of services for a monthly fee that is below the cost of comparable nursing facility care.

ParentGiving.com
An online store to help time-starved caregivers provide better care for their aging parents by providing: in-depth information and helpful checklists about a variety of caregiving topics; on-call professional care managers who possess the expertise and experience necessary to help navigate through the maze of caregiving; and a more enlightened shopping experience at the Shop Parentgiving store, where family caregivers can learn about and shop for the products and supplies that best fit their aging parents’ needs.

PatientsLikeMe
At PatientsLikeMe, people with every type of condition are coming together in this membership-driven community to share their health experiences in discussion forums, find patients like them and learn how to take control of their health. The result is improved care for patients as well as an acceleration of real-world medical research.

Patient Safety Advocacy Network
PSAN is a coalition of individuals and organizations consisting of patients who have been medically harmed, their loved ones, and concerned advocates.

POLITICO
Understand POLITICS and the HEALTH CARE SYSTEM

ProgramsForElderly.com

Programs for Elderly is designed to provide information and serve as a place where
Senior Citizens, Professionals, Caregivers, Families and Communities and can review featured worldwide senior programs.

Quit Smoking Community
Quit Smoking Community is a virtual community that offers support and information for those trying to kick the deadliest habit in the world.

Right at Home
They offer in-home care and assistance including: nursing services, personal care, companion care, and specialty care such as like Alzheimer’s, diabetes and Parkinson’s, and hospice support

Rx List
Offers information on the 200 most-prescribed prescription medicines and describes their side effects, clinical studies, and dosage information. Also describes which health insurance companies carry these medicines on their lists of preferred medicines (called “formularies”).

The SCAN Foundation
Advancing a sustainable continuum of care that improves outcomes, encourages independence, and reduces overall costs. Encouraging public policy reform to raise awareness and integrate funding of acute and long-term care and promote the development of coordinated, patient-centric care.

SeeMyHeart.org
The American Society of Echocardiography created SeeMyHeart to help patients find information about echocardiograms, what they are, what they do and who does them.

Senior Resource
Billed as the “E-cyclopedia” of housing options and information for retirement, finance, insurance and care.

SeniorsForLiving
A website, blog and free service that helps you and your family research, evaluate, contact, and compare Senior Housing options.

Senior Helpers
Home healthcare franchise owners nationwide provide professionally trained caregivers to loved ones at home. They seem to specialize in supporting family members with dementia or Alzheimer’s.

Senior Homes and Senior Care
A resource for finding local senior homes by zip code, with comprehensive information on nursing homes, assisted living, memory care and retirement communities, as well as articles on important senior housing topics to help you through your search.

Shape Up America!
Consumer friendly site that offers helpful tips and programs for managing your weight and healthy eating.

SkilledNursingFacilities.org
They offer a nationwide directory of over 15,000 nursing homes that you can search by zip code or city and provide detailed Medicare quality ratings, inspection information and filed complaints to help consumers research the best skilled nursing care options.

Society for Participatory Medicine
Participatory Medicine is a cooperative model of health care that encourages and expects active involvement by all connected parties (patients, caregivers, healthcare professionals, etc.) as integral to the full continuum of care. The ‘participatory’ concept may also be applied to fitness, nutrition, mental health, end-of-life care, and all issues broadly related to an individual’s health.

Teepa Snow
Teepa is a widely recognized expert in Alzheimer’s Disease. As an advocate for those living with dementia, she has made it her personal mission to help families and professionals better understand how it feels to be living with such challenges and seeks to change and improve life for everyone involved.

Third Age
An online life-stage media, marketing and consumer insight company focused exclusively on serving baby boomers with Health, News, People, and Lifestyle information.

Today’s Caregiver Magazine
Caregiver Media Group produces Today’s Caregiver magazine, the first national magazine dedicated to caregivers, the “Fearless Caregiver Conferences”, and our web site, caregiver.com which includes topic specific newsletters, online discussion lists, back issue articles of Today’s Caregiver magazine, chat rooms and an online store.

Transportation Resource Guide for Seniors & Individuals with Disabilities
While available services vary by location, several programs and services are generally accessible across the country to help people maintain their independence and social connections.

United Cerebral Palsy
UCP is a leading service provider and advocate for children and adults with disabilities. UCP strives to ensure the inclusion into every facet of society – from the web to the workplace, from the classroom to the community – to ensure a life without limits for people with disabilities.

WebMD.com
Providing valuable health information, tools for managing your health, and support to those who seek information.

Well Spouse Association
This nonprofit 501(c)(3) membership organization advocates for and addresses the needs of individuals caring for a chronically ill and/or disabled spouse/partner.  They offer peer to peer support and educate health care professionals and the general public about the special challenges and unique issues “well” spouses face every day.

WikiDoc.org
WikiDoc allows a community of healthcare professionals to ‘co-create’ webpages in a way that does not require knowledge of HTML language or computer programming. As a result, numerous people can collaborate in writing articles, textbook chapters or news stories.

WomenHeart.org
WomenHeart is a nonprofit, 501(c)(3) patient advocacy organization with thousands of members nationwide, including women heart patients and their families, health care providers, advocates and consumers committed to helping women live longer, healthier lives. WomenHeart supports, educates and advocates on behalf of the 42 million American women living with or at risk of heart disease.

World Health Organization promotes Health & Human rights
WHO says the world needs a global health guardian, a custodian of values, a protector and defender of health, including the right to health, because the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health is one of the fundamental rights of every human being.

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Note that many of the websites listed include their own resource lists, so be sure to look there too. And of course you can do an online search search engine.