Resources and Links

National Programs, Organizations and Resources

Action Pact, Inc.   (Culture Change Now) is a company of trainers, consultants and educators who assist nursing homes and other elder care organizations in becoming resident-directed. They work with clients to redesign the way the organization itself functions, moving from traditional top-down management towards a collaborative effort of self-governing teams.

Advancing Excellence in America’s Nursing Homes   The campaign’s unprecedented coalition includes long-term care providers, caregivers, medical and quality improvement experts, government agencies, consumers and others.  The site provides resource tools for the eight clinical and organization goals that are the focus of this campaign.

Alzheimer's Association   
The Alzheimer's Association is the leading, global voluntary health organization in Alzheimer care and support, and the largest private, nonprofit funder of Alzheimer research.  Our vision is a world without Alzheimer’s, and since our founding in 1980, we have moved toward this goal by advancing research and providing support, information and education to those affected by Alzheimer’s and related dementias.


LeadingAge (AAHSA) 
A membership organization serving two million people every day through mission-driven, not-for-profit organizations dedicated to providing the services people need, when they need them, in the place they call home.

American Health Care Association (AHCA) A federation of affiliated state health organizations, together representing more than 10,000 non-profit and for-profit assisted living, nursing facility, developmentally-disabled, and subacute care providers that care for more than 1.5 million elderly and disabled individuals nationally.

The Eden Alternative  Creates coalitions of people and organizations that are committed to creating better social and physical environments for people. The Eden Alternative is dedicated to helping others create enlivening environments and the elimination of the plagues of Loneliness, Helplessness, and Boredom.

The Green House Project 
The Green House is a small intentional community for a group of elders and staff, it is intended to be a vessel for the enactment of the most positive elderhood possible. A radical departure from traditional skilled nursing homes and assisted living facilities, Green House alters facility size, interior design, staffing patterns, and methods of delivering skilled professional services.

IDEAS Institute  A premier resource of information and environment-behavioral research centered on improving care and quality of life for people with chronic forms of physical and cognitive decline, including, but not limited to, Alzheimer's disease.

The Live Oak Institute   Make connections with others in the Culture Change movement. Learn. Share information. And get guidance on obstacles we face in championing the new culture.

The Institute for Caregiver Education (IfCE) is a not-for-profit 501 © (3) organization that provides continuing education and professional development opportunities for healthcare professionals, including a variety of literacy, language, and life skills training for entry level staff across all disciplines.

National Citizens' Coalition for Nursing Home Reform (NCCNHR)   
An organization of consumers and advocates who define and achieve quality for people with long term needs.  Provides information and leadership on federal and state regulatory and legislative policy development, and helps develop models and strategies to improve care and life for residents of nursing homes and other long term care facilities.


Paraprofessional Healthcare Institute (PHI)  
A non-profit organization working to strengthen the direct-care workforce within our nation’s long-term care system through developing innovative approaches to recruitment, training, and supervision; client-centered caregiving practices; and effective public policy.

Pioneer Network   
The non-profit organization that is the clearinghouse of the national grassroots movement that advocates and facilitates deep system change and transformation in our culture of aging based on person-centered values.

Second Wind Dreams    
A national non-profit organization that fulfills the dreams of those living in eldercare communities, thereby enhancing their lives and changing the perception of aging.

National Council of Certified Dementia Practitioners
The National Council of Certified Dementia Practitioners®, LLC was formed in 2001 by a group of professionals with varying work and personal experiences in the field of dementia care. Their backgrounds include Nursing, Regional Managers, Geriatric Care Managers, Psychiatry, Dementia Unit Managers, Alzheimer's and related Dementia Care Specialist, Alzheimer's Educators, Dementia Educators, Therapeutic Recreation, Social Services, Therapist, Pharmacists, Alzheimer's Care Specialist, Long Term Care Administration, Elder Law, and Home Care Administration. The Council was formed to promote standards of excellence in dementia and Alzheimer's education to professionals and other caregivers who provide services to dementia clients.