Resources - For Professionals / Care Providers

The 65+ age segment will likely double over the next 20 – 25 years, and U.S. residents over age 85 have become the nation's fastest-growing age group, accounting for about 1% of the population, compared with about 0.1% in 1900. For this reason, professional caregivers for seniors will continue to be in high demand, and represent a critically important segment in the senior care workforce.

If you are not a professional or personal caregiver, you certainly know someone in this business. Caregivers provide life-sustaining, necessary and invaluable support, often working long hours and enduring heartbreaking conditions. Whether you work in a health care facility or offer care as part of a family or community role, you are consistently looking for ways to make the lives of others easier.

WellAWARE Systems has partnered with Volunteers of America (VOA) and The Evangelical Lutheran Good Samaritan Society (GSS) to offer caregivers assistance in making the lives of others easier. WellAWARE Systems has developed a solution that enables designated caregivers, both professional and personal, to monitor the health of seniors and build a stronger relationship with seniors and their families. The solution delivers a complete monitoring environment without using cameras or microphones that invade the private lives of seniors. WellAWARE allows caregivers to monitor the daily activities of seniors living at home or in senior living facilities, enabling caregivers to provide a higher quality of care to those individuals.

For more information on WellAWARE™ and success of the solution with VOA and GSS, visit  About Us.

This section offers information resources on a variety of topics of interest to caregivers, including links to helpful organizations, to whitepapers, and to news articles on aging.

Third Party Organizations

Administration on Aging (AoA)
www.aoa.org
AoA is one of the largest providers of home- and community-based care. The agency's mission is to develop a comprehensive, coordinated and cost-effective system of long-term care that helps individuals maintain their dignity in their homes and communities.

Alzheimer’s Disease Education and Referral (ADEAR) Center

www.nia.nih.gov/Alzheimers
A service of the National Institute on Aging (NIA), the ADEAR Center offers information and publications on diagnosis, treatment, patient care, caregiver needs, long-term care, education and training, and research related to Alzheimer's Disease (AD).

American Academy of Nursing

www.aannet.org
The American Academy of Nursing (AAN) is constituted to anticipate national and international trends in health care, and address resulting issues of health care knowledge and policy. Not only is the invitation to Fellowship recognition of one's accomplishments within the nursing profession, but also affords an opportunity to work with other leaders in health care in addressing the issues of the day.

American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging (AASHA)

www.aasha.com
AASHA helps millions of individuals and their families every day through mission-driven, not-for-profit organizations dedicated to providing the services that people need, when they need them, in the place they call home.

American Health Care Association (AHCA)/National Center for Assisted Living (NCAL)

www.ahcancal.org
The American Health Care Association (AHCA) is a non-profit federation of affiliated state health organizations, together representing more than 10,000 non-profit and for-profit assisted living, nursing facility, developmentally-disabled, and subacute care providers that care for more than 1.5 million elderly and disabled individuals nationally.

Center for Aging Services Technologies (CAST)

www.agingtech.org
CAST is leading the charge to expedite the development, evaluation and adoption of emerging technologies that will transform the aging experience.

Continua Health Alliance

www.continuaalliance.org
Continua Health Alliance unites smart technology and medical devices with health care industry leaders to empower patients to not only exchange vital information but also to change the way they manage health and wellness.

Blogs

Aging in Place Technology Watch - Laurie Orlov’s blog

www.ageinplacetech.com/blogs/laurie-orlov
Laurie Orlov, a technical industry veteran, writer, speaker and elder care advocate, is the founder of Aging in Place Technology Watch, a market research firm that provides thought leadership, analysis and guidance about technologies and related services that enable boomers and seniors to remain longer in their home of choice.

White Papers/ Guides

National Institute on Aging (NIA) Caregiver Guide

www.nia.nih.gov/Alzheimers/Publications/caregiverguide.htm
The NIA Caregiver Guide provides caregiver tips on caring for persons with Alzheimer’s disease.

National Institute on Aging (NIA): Talking with Your Older Patient: A Clinician's Handbook

www.nia.nih.gov/HealthInformation/Publications/ClinicianHB/
This free booklet from the NIA introduces physicians, nurses, and other health care professionals to communication skills essential in caring for older patients and their families. The booklet also includes specific information on talking with patients/families about cognitive problems.

News Articles

New York Times, Caring for the Caregivers, January, 28, 2009
www.nytimes.com/2009/01/28/opinion/28wed1.html?_r=1