Helpful Links

• Nursing Home Information
  • Directory of Designated Local Ombudsman Programs
  • Long Term Care Ombudsman Program contacts — by county.
  • California Department of Health Care Services — Licensing & Certification Division District Offices
  • California Code of Regulations for Nursing Homes — See Title 22, Division 5
  • Federal Code of Regulations for Long Term Care —Title 42 – Chapter IV – Medicare & Medicaid
  • theconsumervoice.org — The National Consumer Voice for Quality Long-Term Care (formerly NCCNHR)
  • CMS — Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
  • Minimum Data Set (MDS) 3.0, Section Q Information — includes Local Contact Agencies (LCAs)
  • Nursing Home Guide — CANHR’s database of nursing homes in California. You can search by name, address, city, or county and find details on services, staffing, and violations.
  1. Other Nursing Home Search Sites:
  2. California Department of Public Health — Health Care Facilities Search
  3. Nursing Home Inspect — ProPublica's tool to search nursing home inspection reports
  4. The California Healthcare Foundation — nursing home search
  5. Nursing Home Compare — Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
• Residential Care Information
  • Long Term Care Ombudsman Program contacts — by county.
  • California Department of Social Services — Community Care Licensing Division District Offices
  • Residential Care Guide — CANHR’s database of assisted living for the elderly facilities in California. You can search by name, address, city, or county.
  1. Other assisted living search sites:
  2. California Community Care Licensing Division Facility Search — Dept. of Social Services
  • California Code of Regulations for RCFEs — See Title 22, Division 6
  • Assisted Living Waiver — Medi-Cal program that pays for Assisted Living in target counties
  • Assisted Living Consumer Alliance — a national coalition
  • Continuing Care Retirement Communities (CCRC) — CCRC information from CANHR
  • Continuing Care Retirement Facility Information — California Department of Social Services
  • Find a CCRC in California — (pdf)
  • CCRR — California Advocates for RCFE Reform (San Diego & Imperial Counties)
• Legal Service Providers
  • Senior Legal Hotline — Provides California seniors with fast, accurate advice on any legal subject by phone and internet. Links to all legal aid programs in California, by county.
  • LawHelpCalifornia.org — Provides low-income Californians with easy online access to basic legal resources and attorney information.
  • CALegalAdvocates — CALegalAdvocates.org is the on-line community for the legal services and pro bono programs in California.
  • Bet Tzedek Legal Services — Elder Law in Los Angeles County
  • Disability Rights California (formerly Protection & Advocacy, Inc.) — To protect and advocate for people with disabilities
  • H.E.L.P. — Provides information, planning and problem-solving services on legal, governmental program and healthcare related issues that specifically impact seniors.
  • National Senior Citizens Law Center — Legal help for seniors and Medicare beneficiaries.
  • Western Center on Law and Poverty
  • CANHR's L.R.S. — For elder law issues, CANHR's own lawyer referral service
  • L.R.S. by county — For issues other than elder law, lawyer referral services programs listed by county
  • Campaign for Justice — Advocates for increasing funding for the important network of legal aid organizations that give a voice and representation to Californians who need help accessing justice.
• In–Home Supportive Services
  • IHSS Eligibility Contact Phone Numbers — by county
  • Department of Social Services — by county
  • California Association of Public Authorities for IHSS — by county
  • IHSS County Websites
• Community Based Care and Services
  • California Community Transitions Project
    This program works to identify eligible Medi-Cal beneficiaries who have resided in a nursing home, subacute, acute care facilities, and intermediate care facilities, for a minimum of six months or longer and will be returning to the community. Lead organizations contract transition coordinators who help individuals transition from facilities to community settings.
  • Multipurpose Senior Service Program — MSSP provides social and health care management for frail elderly clients who are certifiable for placement in a nursing facility, but who wish to remain in the community.
  • Programs of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly — PACE provides and coordinates preventive, primary, acute and long term care services so older individuals can continue living in the community. Serves Alameda, Contra Costa, Los Angeles, Sacramento, San Francisco, Santa Clara, and San Diego counties.
  • Home Health Compare — Detailed information about Medicare certified home health agencies from the official Medicare site
  • Western Region Geriatric Care Management — Professional Geriatric Care Managers (PGCMs)  can guide families through professional consultation/counseling, prioritizing needs, developing customized care plans, setting up services and referral to resources.
  • Community-Based Adult Services — CBAS replaces the Adult Health Day Care program in California. It provides necessary medical and social services to individuals with intensive health care needs.
  • Long-Term Care Alternatives — include an array of home and community choices that allow persons with disabilities to avoid unnecessary institutionalization.
  • Lake & Mendocino Counties Senior Resource Directory
• Medicare, Medicare Part D & Long Term Care Insurance
  • Medicare:
  1. HICAP — Health Insurance Counseling and Advocacy Program – California Health Advocates
  2. California Health Advocates — Information about Medicare and options for covering health costs not paid for by Medicare.
  3. Center for Medicare Advocacy
  4. Medicare Administration
  5. The Medicare Rights Center
  6. Health Services Advisory Group — Medicare Appeals - California's QIO
  • Medicare Part D:
  1. Health Consumer Alliance — Has fact sheets on the Medicare Part D for prescription drugs
  2. Medicare RX–Connect — Links to information on the new Medicare prescription drug coverage
  3. Families USA
  • Long Term Care Insurance:
  1. California Dept. of Insurance
  2. California Dept. of Managed Health Care — HMO Help Center explains your rights and how to use your health care benefits. You can file a complaint or grievance.
  3. The Office of the Patient Advocate — Resources for assistance with HMO issues.
• Disability Resources
  • California Department of Developmental Services (DDS) — The agency through which the State of California provides services and supports to children and adults with developmental disabilities.
  • The California Foundation for Independent Living Centers (CFILC) — Supports independent living centers in local communities through advocating for systems change and promoting access and integration for people with disabilities.
  • The Disability Rights Legal Center — Provides legal services to people with disabilities.
  • Independent Living Services of Northern California — A private, non–profit organization providing support services to help empower community members with disabilities.
  • Disability Rights California (formerly Protection & Advocacy, Inc.) — Works in partnership with people with disabilities, to protect, advocate for and advance their human, legal and service rights.
• Caregiver Resources
  • California Caregiver Resource Centers/Family Caregiver Alliance — Offers programs to support and sustain caregivers.
  • California Council of the Alzheimer’s Association
  • VA and Caregivers — The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) offers assistance to caregivers.
  • Well Spouse Association — Support for Spousal Caregivers
• Professional Resources
  • California Legislation
  • California Code of Regulations
  • California Cases and Codes
  • SSA Program Operations Manual Systems — Access to the POMS manual
  • Medi-Cal Information — Includes forms, ACWDLs, Policies and Procedures
  • California Attorney General’s Office
  • Social Security Administration
  • Department of Labor - Wage & Hour Division — Offers employers and workers access to services and employment and regulatory information
  • ABA Commission on Legal Problems of the Elderly
  • National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys
  • National Association of Professional Geriatric Care Managers
• End of Life Issues
  • Caring Advocates — A national, not for profit membership organization which gives support to wives, husbands, and partners of the chronically ill and/or disabled.
  • California Coalition for Compassionate Care — A statewide partnership of over 60 regional & statewide organizations dedicated to the advancement of palliative medicine and end-of-life care in California.
• Emergency Response Information
  • Silver Alert Sliver Alert is a a response system for the suspicious disappearance of an elderly person. Upon activation of a Silver Alert, the California Highway Patrol will assist the investigating law enforcement agency by issuing a be-on-the-lookout alert, an Emergency Digital Information Service Message, or an electronic flyer.
  • Adult Protective Services is an agency to help elder adults 65 years and older and dependent adults 18-64 when they are unable to meet their own needs or are victims of abuse, neglect and exploitation.

Page Last Modified:July 7, 2014