Links and Resources

New York State Department of Health
http://www.health.state.ny.us/
The New York State Department of Health website contains valuable information, including the Health Care Proxy form and instructions in English, Spanish, Chinese and Russian. The site also features a county-by-county profile of home health agencies and hospices, and information about assisted living facilities.

New York Connects
http://www.nyconnects.org
New York Connects: Choices for Long Term Care is a free information and assistance service to help individuals and families in New York State make decisions about long-term care needs. New York Connects is available in most counties; the website has a list of phone numbers by county; a few counties have their own websites.

New York State Office for the Aging
2 Empire State Plaza
Albany, New York 12223-1251
800-342-9871 (toll free)
http://www.aging.ny.gov/Caregiving/Index.cfm
The New York State Office for the Aging works to assist older New Yorkers to be as independent as possible for as long as possible through delivery of high quality, person- and family centered, cost-effective programs and services. NYSOFA convenes the New York State Family Caregiver Council, made up of caregivers and agency representatives from all parts of the state. NYSOFA’s website offers resources for family caregivers, including information on caregiver programs, grandparenting and kinship, tools and guides with tips for caregivers, and government agencies’ helplines. These include:

• Hospital Patient Care Issues: 800-804-5447
• Home Care and Hospice: 800-628-5972
• Nursing Home Patient Care: 888-201-4563
• Adult Care/ Assisted Daily Living: 866-893-6772
• Health Insurance: 800-701-0501
• Medicare: 800-333 4114
• Medicare—quality of care: 800-633-4227