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For Immediate Release
April 22, 2010

For Further Information:
Jillian Lubarsky
jlubarsky@americangeriatrics.org
(212) 308-1414

Advice on Finding Quality Nursing Home Care
from The American Geriatrics Society's Foundation for Health in Aging

Nearly 1.6 million older Americans live in nursing homes in the United States. While many are receiving quality care, the move to a nursing home can still be difficult for older adults and their family members alike.

To help caregivers who are considering moving a loved one to a nursing home ensure that he or she will get the best possible care, the American Geriatrics Society Foundation for Health in Aging (FHA) has published a comprehensive, easily understood "tip sheet" -- "Finding Quality Nursing Home Care".

"Family caregivers may feel guilty, depressed, and upset when they are unable to meet the complex care needs of their older loved one," says Gregg Warshaw, MD, AGSF, Professor of Family Medicine at the University of Cincinnati in Cincinnati, Ohio. "Caregivers may also fear that their loved one won't receive adequate care at a nursing home. The Foundation's tip sheet can help family caregivers find nursing homes offering quality care, and follow through to ensure that care continues to meet their loved one's needs."

Among other things, the tip sheet offers advice on what to look for when touring a nursing home. It also explains what to do, once you've placed a loved one in a nursing home, to make sure he or she continues to get quality care.

ABOUT THE FHA
In 1999, the American Geriatrics Society reached beyond its traditional role as a professional medical society and launched the AGS Foundation for Health in Aging (FHA). The FHA aims to build a bridge between geriatrics health care professionals and the public, and advocate on behalf of older adults and their special needs: wellness and preventive care, self-responsibility and independence, and connections to family and community. The FHA champions initiatives in public education, clinical research, and public policy that advance the principles and practice of geriatrics medicine; educate policy makers and the public on the health care needs and concerns of older adults; support aging research that reduces disability and frailty, and improves quality of life and health outcomes; encourage older adults to be effective advocates for their own health care; and help family members and caregivers take better care of their older loved ones and themselves.

ABOUT THE AGS
Founded in 1942, the American Geriatrics Society (www.americangeriatrics.org) is a non-profit organization of more than 6,400 healthcare professionals whose shared mission is to improve the health, independence and quality of life of older people. Our vision for the future is that all older adults will have access to quality healthcare that meets their unique needs. To achieve this, the Society focuses on: advancing eldercare research; enhancing clinical practice in eldercare; raising public awareness of the healthcare needs of older people; and advocating for public policy that ensures older adults access to quality, appropriate, cost-effective care. The Society is a pivotal force in shaping practices, policies and perspectives in the field.