ADVOCACY LINKS:

 The Coalition of Wisconsin Aging Groups (CWAG) In the Madison area call 224-0606; long distance contact them at 1-800-366-2990 or email them at < cwag@cwag.org >. The Coalition is a non-profit, non-partisan, statewide organization dedicated to assuring that Older Americans have access to the services they need to remain independent.

 

The Elder Law Center, attached to CWAG, employs elder law attorneys who provide legal back-up support, supervision, and ongoing training to the county Benefit Specialists in the AgeAdvantAge, Bay, Dane, and Northern AAA service areas. For older adults living in southeastern Wisconsin, including Milwaukee county, Senior LAW, a program of Legal Action of Wisconsin, operates that program.
 

National Association of Area Agencies on Aging  The National Association of Area Agencies on Aging (n4a) is the umbrella organization for our nation's 655 Area Agencies on Aging (AAAs) and the representative body in Washington, D.C. for the interests of 220 Title VI – Native American older adult programs. Through its presence in Washington, n4a is the lobbying arm for its members to ensure that needed resources and support services are available to serve all older Americans.

Looking for Aging Services in your community? The N4A is co-sponsor of the Eldercare Locator, phone 800/677-1116 (weekdays, 9:00 am to 8:00 pm ET).  Contact the Eldercare Locator to locate local aging services providers for your needs or those for whom you provide care and support.

 

Wisconsin Association of Area Agencies on Aging (W4A) -  The six AAAs - AgeAdvantAge, Bay, Dane, Milwaukee, Northern, and Southeastern - make up this organization. The governing board includes a representative of each agency's Board of Directors as well as each AAA Executive Director.  The AAAs are significantly involved in legislative advocacy, planning and policy development which will promote the independence, health and safety of older adults, and initiatives that support community based services. In recent years the aging network has embraced partnerships with organizations serving grandparents, families, and children.

 

Disability Rights Wisconsin (formerly the Wisconsin Coalition for Advocacy)- Disability Rights Wisconsin is a private, nonprofit agency chosen by Wisconsin's Governor to provide protection and advocacy for people with disabilities throughout the state. WCA is completely independent of state government and direct service providers.

The Access to Benefits Coalition™ (ABC) was formed to ensure that all low-income Medicare beneficiaries, including seniors and younger persons with disabilities, know about and can make the best use of both public and private prescription drug savings programs. These include both the new Medicare approved discount cards and the $600 per year credit as well as the Medicare prescription drug benefit that takes effect in January 2006 (Medicare Part D) (from the website).

The Alzheimer's Association - The Wisconsin Alzheimer's Institute and Healthcare Technology System have developed an automated telephone system that provides general information about memory loss, a screening tool for memory loss, and support and advice for caregivers of those with Alzheimer's disease and related disorders.   If interested call ALERTS at 1-800-289-4974.

 

There are three chapters of the Alzheimer's Association which serve multi-county areas of Wisconsin.

Call them at 1-800-272-3900 if you have more questions — and they'll help you find the answers.

Greater Wisconsin (serving Western, Central, Northern and Northeastern counties in Wisconsin)

2900 Curry Lane, Suite A, Green Bay, WI - 54311

Phone toll free: 1-800-360-2110 or (920) 469-2110

South Central Wisconsin Chapter

517 N. Segoe, Suite 301, Madison, WI - 53705

Phone toll free: 1-800-428-9280 or (608) 232-3400

Southeastern Wisconsin Chapter:

6130 W. National Avenue, Suite 200 Milwaukee, WI - 53214

Phone toll free: 1-800-922-2413 or (414) 479-8800

AoA Caregiver Resources -an Administration on Aging (AoA) page with links to fact sheets, resources, how-to's, and help.

 

AoA National Family Caregiver Support Program - will assist spouses, adult children, neighbors and other volunteers by providing caregiver training, in-home support services and respite to individuals for whom they provide care.

 

Faith In Action - a national volunteer movement that brings together religious congregations from many faiths and other community organizations. Funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation the organization's mission is to help people who are aging and chronically ill maintain their independence by providing them assistance with everyday activities.

 

Hospice of America -HFA is a nonprofit organization that promotes hospice care and works to educate professionals and the families they serve in issues relating to caregiving, terminal illness, loss and bereavement.

 

Information for Caregivers - Articles on health and wellness, safety and other links from AARP on what you should know and what you can do to assist an aging parent, other relative, or friend in need of long term care information and/or services.

 National Alliance for Caregiving - dedicated to providing support to family caregivers, and the professionals who help them, and to increasing public awareness of issues facing family caregiving.

National Clearinghouse on the Direct Care Workforce collects, analyzes, and disseminates information concerning the health care paraprofessional workforce.

 

National Family Caregivers Association - NFCA is a grass roots organization created to educate, support, empower and speak up for the millions of Americans who care for chronically ill, aged or disabled loved ones.

American Red Cross - find a local chapter or learn about how you can become a blood donor or volunteer.

 

Disaster Preparedness and Assistance -  An educational site for older adults, caregivers, professionals and others on how to ensure safety during times of disaster and severe weather regardless of its source. Includes links to guidebooks on home safety and evacuation techniques to assist homebound older adults or persons who have physical disabilities.

Federal Emergency Management Agency the mission of FEMA is to reduce loss of life and property and protect our nation's critical infrastructure from all types of hazards through a comprehensive, risk based, emergency management program of mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery.

 

Cold Weather Advice from the National Institutes of Health

Hot Weather Advice from the National Institutes of Health

 

Mental Health Services - The Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS) works in partnership with the Federal Emergency Management Agency in overseeing national efforts to provide emergency mental health services to survivors of Presidentially declared disasters. The following link from their site provides information on assisting older adults who may be having difficulty following a disaster. Emergency mental health services for older adults.

 

Wisconsin Emergency Management - 24 Hour Duty Officer can be reached at 1-800-943-0003.

Wisconsin Federal Emergency Management Agency  Wisconsin Emergency Management coordinates with state and federal agencies as well as volunteer and private sector partners.  It supports all of Wisconsin's 72 counties and brings emergency management services to the state's 5.3 million citizens.  A state map showing the coverage of each regional office is provided on the web site as is the contact information for each office. (from the website)  A 24  Hour Duty Officer can be reached at  1-800-943-0003.

Elder Abuse -Administration on Aging web site provides fact sheets, information, and resources. IF YOU OR SOMEONE YOU KNOW is in an abusive relationship REGARDLESS OF AGE contact your local Domestic Violence Center or county/tribal Social Services Agency, or Aging Services Provider. Confidential help and resources are available, wherever you live, 24-hours a day 7 days a week.  No person, regardless of age or infirmity, deserves to  be abused, neglected or  exploited.

 

Domestic Abuse Center (National)- Lists resources, including phone numbers, for each State's Lead Domestic Abuse Agency and how to report abuse in institutions.

 

Humane Society of the United States - the Humane Society? What's the connection between animal abuse and elder abuse? Recent research points to strong statistical evidence that individuals who abuse animals 'move on' to abuse humans - be they spouses, children, or aged parents. Some may use intimidation and threats of harm to beloved pets in order to exert power and control over others. Check out the new First Strike program which encourages people to get involved and contact authorities the first time they witness acts of violence against animals (or humans).

NOTE: The guide was compiled as part of a project spearheaded by the University of Wisconsin Extension, the Bureau of Aging and Long Term Care Resources and Grandparents United for Children's Rights, Inc.   The link for Grand provides counties on-line directions for revising the Guide with easy-to-use templates so that certain resource pages may be edited to include county specific information.

GrandsPlace - a wonderful site coordinated by a compassionate, savvy, common-sense grandmother raising a grandchild: subscribe to an e-mail newsletter; share concerns, stories, and on-line chats. The site also lists information on legal resources, links to support groups and fun pages for grand kids. On top of all that - the site host, Kathy, has great recipes!

“

The right of voting for representatives is the primary right by which other rights are protected. --Thomas Paine

”

US House of Representatives Home Page  - find links for committees and other House operations

Wisconsin Representative Home-Page Links:

District 1  (Janesville)            Paul Ryan    ( http://www.house.gov/ryan/  )

District 2  (Madison)              Tammy Baldwin ( http://tammybaldwin.house.gov/ )    

District 3  (La Crosse)            Ron Kind    ( http://www.house.gov/kind/ )

District 4  (Milwaukee)          Gwen Moore ( http://www.house.gov/gwenmoore/ )  

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District 5  (Menomonie Falls) Jim Sensenbrenner (http://www.house.gov/sensenbrenner/)

District 6  (Fond du Lac)         Tom Petri  ( http://www.house.gov/petri/  )

District 7   (Wausau)               Dave Obey  (http://www.house.gov/obey/ )

District 8  (Green Bay)           Mark Green   ( http://www.house.gov/markgreen/ )

US Senate Home Page   - find links for committees and other Senate operations

Wisconsin's Senators' Home-Page Links:

Russ Feingold  http://feingold.senate.gov/
Herb Kohl         http://kohl.senate.gov/

Wisconsin State Legislature    ( http://www.legis.state.wi.us/ )

Wisconsin Governor's Home Page  ( http://www.wisgov.state.wi.us/ )

Wisconsin Politics On Line  ( http://www.wispolitics.com  )  Visit this non-partisan site to find information on 'all things politic' in Wisconsin including links to legislators, candidates, and articles pro and con on the issues of the day.

BIA (Bureau of Indian Affairs)

 

Indian Health Service The IHS is the principal federal health care provider and health advocate for Indian people, and its goal is to assure that comprehensive, culturally acceptable personal and public health services are available and accessible to American Indian and Alaska Native people (from the site's introduction).

Native American Aging Programs - Federal Administration on Aging Fact Sheet

The following links may be especially helpful, as well as educational, for professional colleagues interested in aging statistics, the Census, trends in aging and health, the latest research or looking for data for grant applications, presentations or county and tribal 3 year plan activities.

CENSUS 2000 the Census Bureau continues to add information from the Year 2000 Census. Information on population totals, gender, and housing are now available. Click here to find Quick Facts for Wisconsin and links to available data for any Wisconsin county.

 

CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL (CDC) -Special Section on Aging & Health

CDC - National Center on Health Statistics - NCHS is the Federal Government's principal vital and health statistics agency. Since 1960, when the National Office of Vital Statistics and the National Health Survey merged to form NCHS, the agency has provided a wide variety of data with which to monitor the Nation's health.

CDC - Trends in Aging - this site is specifically designed to show trends in health related behaviors, health status, health care utilization, and cost of care for the older population in the United States.

 Georgetown University Center on an Aging Society - The Center on an Aging Society at Georgetown University is a Washington-based, non-partisan public policy institute that fosters critical thinking about the implications of an aging society.  The Center serves as a source of information on issues often associated with the Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid programs (quoted from the website)

Wisconsin Department of Administration - The State's Demographic Services Center develops population projections by age and sex for the counties; population projections of total population for all municipalities; and estimates of total housing units and households for all counties.

 

Interagency Forum on Aging Related Statistics- This Forum encourages collaboration among federal agencies to improve the quality and usefulness of data on the aging population.  The Forum membership includes ten federal agencies that produce or use statistics on aging. Of special interest for aging network professionals is the Forum's 123 page report on the status of older Americans gathered over the past few years. The report is available on-line in pdf format.

U.S. GOVERNMENT LINKS:

   FirstGov ( www.firstgov.gov ) is the only official U.S. Government portal to 47 million pages of government  information and services.

Administration on Aging - Information for Older Adults and Their Families as well as professionals working in the Aging Network.   Check out the AoA's page on Aging Internet Information Notes with links to a variety of aging related fact sheets from Addiction to Wellness.

Americans with Disabilities Act - links to the ADA on-line from the Department of Justice and your rights to equal access; on-line complaint form and other links for consumers

Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services- (http://www.medicare.gov/ ) formerly the Health Care Financing Administration) administers the Medicare and Medicaid programs, which provide health care to America's aged and indigent populations, about one in every four Americans, including nearly 18 million children and and nursing home coverage for low-income elderly. CMS also administers the new Children's Health Insurance Program through approved state plans that cover more than 2.2 million children.

 

Freedom First Initiative The New Freedom Initiative for People with Disabilities calls for government to use information technology to deliver government services anytime, anywhere. The site supports the administration's efforts to reduce barriers to the employment of people with disabilities.

 

Government Benefits  There are numerous federal benefits available to older adults but unfortunately many people are not familiar with where to find information on eligibility, or who to contact for additional information.   This is a good place to start!  The site uses a simple web-based question and answer format to help users identify programs they may be eligible for and who to contact for additional assistance.   Information gathered is confidential.  If you are still not sure, contact your local Wisconsin county or tribal aging office and ask to speak to the Benefit Specialist ( www.dhfs.state.wi.us/aging ).

National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke -The NINDS conducts and supports research on brain and nervous system disorders and is one of the more than two dozen research institutes and centers that comprise the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Links to fact sheets and other information on several major neurological disorders.

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration -A section in the U.S. Dept. of Health & Human Services, SAMHSA is the Federal agency charged with improving the quality and availability of prevention, treatment, and rehabilitative services in order to reduce illness, death, disability, and cost to society resulting from substance abuse and mental illnesses.

 U.S. Social Security Administration

WISCONSIN SPECIFIC LINKS:

Wisconsin Board on Aging and Long Term Care The mission of the Wisconsin Board on Aging and Long Term Care (BOALTC) is to advocate for the interests of Wisconsin's citizens in need of long-term care. The BOALTC also administers the Ombudsman program responsible for investigating resident complaints involving long term care facilities.

Wisconsin Bureau of Aging and Disability Resources (BADR) This Bureau within the Division of Supportive Living, DHFS, is the lead agency in Wisconsin for Aging Programs and Services. The Bureau is a significant and important partner with area agencies on aging, aging units and other agencies and associations in assuring quality driven programs, services, and outcomes for older adults, their caregivers and families in Wisconsin.

I OWE YOU! Uncle Sam is looking for Veterans who may be eligible, but have not yet applied, for disability compensation, pension and other benefits through the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).

 

County Veterans Services Offices  Click on a county in this state map to locate that county's veterans services officer.

Wisconsin Information Server The main portal to Wisconsin Government with links to state agencies and programs, the Legislature and others.

Wisconsin Institute on Aging   The mission of the Institute on Aging of the University of Wisconsin-Madison is to promote, through excellence in multidisciplinary research, education, and practice, the health and well-being of the rapidly-expanding aging population in our local community, state, and society at large. (from the website intro)

University of Wisconsin Extension (UWEX) extends the knowledge and resources of the University of Wisconsin to people wherever they live and work (click on the link for county locations).

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OTHER LINKS OF INTEREST:

 Aging 101 -The Huffington Center on Aging at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas is one of 45 Geriatric Education Centers in the country. Their site lists articles and links on aging issues and provides an opportunity for distance learning for professionals.

 

Alliance for Information and Referral Systems -AIRS is the professional association for nearly 1,000 programs throughout North America that provide information and referral on human services in their respective communities. Information on Certification for Information and Referral Services (CIRS) providers and Certification for I&R Services-Aging (CIRS-A) specialty track is available on this site.

 

BenefitsCheckUp is a free, online service from the National Council on the Aging that helps older Americans identify state and federal assistance programs that can help improve their quality of life. NOTE: Older adults residing in Wisconsin are encouraged to contact their county or tribal aging unit Benefit Specialist program to determine if there are other state or local programs available to assist them.  For local contact information go to the Wisconsin DHFS web site and click on the link for your county or tribe.  If you live in the AgeAdvantAge service area click here Benefit Specialist to go to the listing for our service area.

 

Center for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing - UniversaLink (www.cdhh.org ) The Center is a non-profit agency that provides statewide Interpreter services through its CommunicationLinkout program.  Their UniversaLink program assists qualified individuals with accessing the Telecommunications Equipment Purchase Program (TEPP).  That program provides vouchers to purchase equipment that may assist those who are hard of hearing, Deaf/Severely Hard of Hearing, Speech Impaired, Mobility Impaired, Deaf/HH with low vision and Deaf-Blind individuals.  A mail order catalog is available for people unable to visit their showroom.  They do provide phone consultation and have a collaboration with some Independent Living Centers throughout the state who may have equipment for demonstrations.  Click on their link or contact them by phone at 262-790-7189 (voice) or  TTY: 262-790-7188.

 

Health and Aging: The Novartis Gerontology Foundation-Health and Age web site supports education and innovation in healthy aging and in the care of the elderly. The site is organized into three areas: for physicians, other health care professionals, and patients.

Health Care Organizations in Wisconsin - for professionals and consumers this link from the Wisconsin Department of Health and Family Services (DHFS) site lists a variety of health care and advocacy organizations in Wisconsin.

Organ onation - See this link for information, facts, and resources about organ  donation.  You are also invited to read the 'Gift of Life Initiative' which seeks to create an organ-donation friendly America.  The site provides facts, dispels myths and lets you download and print out your own donor card.  Fact: You are never too old to be a donor

  Seniors.Gov   Hosted by the Social Security Administration this site contains multiple links of interest to older adults, family members and caregivers.

HOME
 

Disclaimer: References on this web site to any non-governmental entity, product, service or portal of information does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation by AgeAdvantAge Area Agency on Aging or any of its employees.  Links are provided for informational purposes only.   The user assumes  full responsibility for use of links they may access from this site.  If you should find an 'inactive' link, please contact  Jayne Mullins  (mullinsjf@mailbag.com)  so that this page can be updated for other users.

Last Updated  16  April 2008

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