Resources
Health and Aging
The internet provides a wealth of information that makes it easier to understand medical problems and take charge of your own health.
Caring Connections
Caring Connections provides a form for drawing up a living will that meets the state’s requirements for each of the 50 states. It comes with a packet of information and another form for drawing up a health care proxy, a document that appoints someone to make medical decisions for you if you can’t make them yourself. The National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO) developed this site. http://www.caringinfo.org/ More Info...
Clinicaltrials.gov
Clinicaltrials.gov lists tens of thousands of ongoing studies in the U.S. and abroad. It’s a great resource for those who are willing to try a brand new medication while it’s being clinically tested. For each trial, you can find out the purpose, where it’s being conducted, and who is eligible to participate, along with a phone number to use for more details. The National Library of Medicine maintains this site for NIH, the National Institutes of Health. http://clinicaltrials.gov/ More Info...
DiagKNOWsis.org
DiagKNOWsis.org explains how to research a health problem, how and when to get a second opinion, what to do when a doctor is too rushed to listen to you, how to interpret lab reports, and more. http://www.diagKNOWsis.org More Info...
Drugs.com
Drugs.com has information on more than 24,000 prescription drugs, over-the-counter medicines and herbal remedies and their possible side effects and harmful interactions with other drugs or even with foods. www.drugs.com More Info...
Health On the Net Foundation (HON)
The Health On the Net Foundation (HON) awards a seal of approval to web sites with health information that meet its exacting standards. Look for the red and white HON Code logo on sites you visit. The HON site itself has a search engine you can use to find specific information at approved sites. http://www.hon.ch/ More Info...
Healthfinder.gov
Healthfinder.gov offers a gateway to a wealth of medical information. Type in a medical concern and it will provide links to news and basic facts about the topic, along with a list of organizations that focus on it. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, working with other federal agencies, designed this site. http://www.healthfinder.gov/ More Info...
Hospital Compare
Hospital Compare offers a way to judge the quality of your local medical center. It records whether each facility that it covers takes 21 specific actions that experts believe hospitals should take in treating heart attacks, heart failure, and pneumonia and in doing surgery. The site was created by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and other members of the Hospital Quality Alliance. www.hospitalcompare.hhs.gov More Info...
Medicare Rights Center
The Medicare Rights Center, an advocacy group, provides detailed, online information about what Medicare covers and how its prescription drug benefit works. http://www.medicarerights.org More Info...
MedlinePlus
MedlinePlus presents health news for people of all ages. It also has a medical dictionary, an illustrated medical encyclopedia, basic information on more than 700 different topics, links to online directories of hospitals, doctors, etc., and much, much more. The site was developed by the National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ More Info...
Medwatch
Medwatch has information on safety issues. Check here for warnings about prescription medications, over-the-counter drugs, medical devices, medical foods, dietary supplements, infant formulas, and more. The site is maintained by the FDA, the Food and Drug Administration. http://www.fda.gov/medwatch. More Info...
National Center on Elder Abuse (NCEA)
National Center on Elder Abuse (NCEA) provides information about where to turn for help if you or someone you know is being abused. State by state, NCEA lists hotlines, help lines, and government agencies concerned about the abuse of older people. http://www.elderabusecenter.org/default.cfm?p=CANE_Ageism.cfm More Info...
Newstarget
Newstarget presents medical news stories and features with a strong point of view – that of consumer health advocate Mike Adams, who believes in “free speech, free access to nutritional supplements and the ending of corporate control over medicines, genes and seeds.” http://www.newstarget.com/index.html More Info...
NIHSeniorHealth.gov
NIHSeniorHealth.gov focuses on the health of older people. For each medical problem, it presents general background information along with videos and responses to frequently asked questions (FAQs). This is a joint effort by the National Institute on Aging, the National Library of Medicine, and the National Institutes of Health. http://nihseniorhealth.gov/ More Info...
WebMD
WebMD, a vast compendium of medical information, has an excellent Healthy Aging Center that covers everything from menopause to arthritis. Go there for breaking news, background information, expert advice, video clips, blogs, and boards where visitors can post comments. http://www.webmd.com/ More Info...