Even though there are multitudes of governmental services that benefit seniors, it’s not always easy navigating the bureaucracy.
A federal Web site, www.usa.gov/topics/seniors.shtml, helps cut the red tape by giving seniors and their loved ones consolidated information on a wide range of resources.
The Web site provides links to consumer protection information for seniors and offers help with fighting consumer fraud and protecting elder rights. It also provides links to official federal education and job-training sites, along with government sites dealing with advance directives, estate planning and hospice care.
Grandparents can find help with federal benefits, assistance with raising grandchildren and other federal resource links dealing with reverse mortgages, elder care and nursing home options.
A link to an online tool lets users compare hospitals to find out how well they care for patients with certain medical conditions or surgical procedures. It also provides the results from a survey of patients about the quality of care they received during a recent hospital stay.
The www.usa.gov Web site offers users the option of receiving e-mail notifications when the site is updated. The text can also be adjusted to a larger font for those with impaired vision.