Agencies that can help with long-term care choices
| Organization | How they can help |
|---|---|
| Area Agencies on Aging (AAAs) - Opens in a new window | AAAs assist adults age 50 and older and their caregivers. To find the AAA in your area, call The Eldercare Locator - Opens in a new window at 1-800-677-1116 weekdays from 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. (EST). |
| Aging and Disability Resource Centers (ADRCs) - Opens in a new window | ADRCs assist people with disabilities of all incomes and ages and their families. Forty-seven states have ADRCs. Learn if your area is served by an ADRC - Opens in a new window. Note that many AAAs and CILs are ADRCs. |
| View Centers for Independent Living (CILs) - Opens in a new windowExit Disclaimer - Opens in a new window | CILs assist people with disabilities of all incomes and ages with focus on consumer control. |
| View State Technology Assistance Project - Opens in a new windowExit Disclaimer - Opens in a new window | The State Technology Assistance Project has information on medical equipment and other assistive technology. Get the contact information for your state from the Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology Society of North America (RESNA) - Opens in a new windowExit Disclaimer - Opens in a new window or call (703) 524-6686. |
| State Medical Assistance (Medicaid) Office |
Your State Medical Assistance Office can give you information about state programs that help pay health and nursing home costs, as well as services in the community, for people with low incomes and limited resources. To find the phone number for your state, visit Helpful Contacts - Opens in a new window. You can also call 1-800- MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227). TTY users should call 1-877-486-2048. |
Contact information
Many state-level contacts are available to you or your family, like a long-term care ombudsman, your state survey agency, or your state quality improvement organization.
You may call them if you have questions specific to your state, like state laws, benefits or licensing. You may also choose to call them with a concern or complaint about the quality of care you or your family member gets from a nursing home, if you're unable to get a satisfactory resolution from your nursing home.
Get the contacts for your state.Long-Term Care Ombudsman
An advocate (supporter) who works to solve problems between residents and nursing homes, as well as assisted living facilities. Long-Term Care Ombudsmen - Opens in a new windowExit Disclaimer - Opens in a new window are located in every state.
State Survey Agencies
These are agencies of State governments, typically the agency that licenses health facilities within the State Health Departments. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has entered into agreements with these agencies, to conduct inspections) of providers and suppliers in order to determine if they comply with Medicare requirements.
Quality Improvement Organizations
Quality Improvement Organizations (QIOs)Exit Disclaimer - Opens in a new window assist beneficiaries with Nursing Home Quality. A QIO is a group of practicing doctors and other health care experts paid by the federal government to check and improve the care given to people with Medicare. QIOs are available to help beneficiaries who have questions about how to use the quality information in selecting a nursing home.