Tools for Patients & Caregivers
The following websites provide trustworthy, informative resources for patients and caregivers. Find out how you can take care of yourself and support the people you care for.
The National Long-Term Care Ombudsman Resource Center:
The National Long-Term Care Ombudsman Resource Center, which is funded by the Agency on Aging, provides support, technical assistance and training to the 53 state long-term care ombudsman programs and their statewide networks of almost 600 regional (local) programs.
Tools and Resources for Patients and Consumers
National Patient Safety Foundation, 2013.
These tools and resources created by the National Patient Safety Foundation include a universal patient compact, a post-discharge tool, fact sheets and guidelines for patients, white papers and other information.
AHRQ Patient Safety Tools and Resources
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), 2013.
The AHRQ has created both English and Spanish available for each resource available here. Included are tips on questions to ask your physician, the importance of patient engagement, medication safety, information about surgery and a guide for after hospital discharge.
Your Discharge Planning Checklist
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), 2010
This six-page discharge checklist provides check-off items for discharge and for the family caregiver, a drug table, appointment scheduler, and list of resources.
Consumer Tips Guide for Patients and Their Families
Patient Safety Authority (Virginia), 2011
This comprehensive document provides guidance in choosing a healthcare facility and leaving the facility with important information related to discharge. It includes tips for infection prevention and medication safety.
What do I Need as a Family Caregiver?
Next Step In Care, 2008
This five-page document is a tool to record family caregiver information and to check the caregiver’s ability to accomplish the required tasks. It can also be used to document information about previous use of homecare services, to take notes about other concerns and to record important contact information.
