Long-term care is newest topic on NIHSeniorHealth site, April 5, 2011 News Release - National Institutes of Health (NIH)

Tuesday, April 5, 2011
11 a.m. EDT Contact:
Stephanie Dailey, NIA
301-496-1752

Kathy Cravedi, NLM
301-496-6308

Moya Thompson, AoA
202-357-3507
National Institute on Aging



Long-term care is newest topic on NIHSeniorHealth site

What is long-term care and will I need it? If I do need long-term care services, where can I find them? Are there things I should be doing now to plan ahead?

Older adults and their loved ones can find easy-to-understand answers to these and other questions by visiting “Long-Term Care,” http://www.nihseniorhealth.gov/longtermcare/toc.html the newest topic on NIHSeniorHealth, the health and wellness website for older adults from the National Institutes of Health.

"Today, approximately 10 million Americans need long-term services and supports. As America ages, that number is rising steadily. By 2020, it is expected that 15 million Americans will need some type of long-term care," said Kathy Greenlee, assistant secretary for aging at the Administration on Aging (AoA) which helped develop the topic. "Understanding and finding the services and options available is key to planning ahead. The new topic of long-term care on NIHSeniorHealth describes in clear, concise language the range of long-term care services available and ways to plan for future needs."

"Long-Term Care" is the 50th topic to appear on NIHSeniorHealth www.nihseniorhealth.gov, joining an impressive roster of research-based health topics of interest to older adults, including exercise and physical activity, safe use of medicines and management of diseases such as stroke, diabetes, osteoporosis and Alzheimer's disease. A joint effort of the National Institute on Aging (NIA) and the National Library of Medicine (NLM), both components of NIH, NIHSeniorHealth is designed to be senior friendly and is tailored to the cognitive and visual needs of older adults. The short, easy-to-read segments of information, large print, opened captioned videos and speech function make the information on the site easy for older adults to see, understand and navigate.

The NIA leads the federal government effort conducting and supporting research on aging and the health and well-being of older people. The institute’s broad scientific program seeks to understand the nature of aging and to extend the healthy, active years of life. For more information on research, aging, and health, go to www.nia.nih.gov.

The NLM is the world's largest library of the health sciences and collects, organizes and makes available biomedical science information to scientists, health professionals and the public. For more information, visit the website at www.nlm.nih.gov.

The AoA works with a nationwide network of organizations and service providers to develop a comprehensive and cost-effective system of heath and long-term care that helps elderly individuals maintain their independence and dignity in their homes and communities For more information, go to www.aoa.gov.

About the National Institutes of Health (NIH): NIH, the nation's medical research agency, includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIH is the primary federal agency conducting and supporting basic, clinical, and translational medical research, and is investigating the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit www.nih.gov.


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Long-term care is newest topic on NIHSeniorHealth site, April 5, 2011 News Release - National Institutes of Health (NIH)