General Estate Planning
American College of Trusts and Estate Counsel
www.actec.org
The American College of Trust and Estate Counsel (ACTEC) is a nonprofit association of lawyers established in 1949. Its members are elected to the College by demonstrating the highest level of integrity, commitment to the profession, competence and experience as trust and estate counselors.
North Carolina Advanced Health Care Directive Registry
www.secretary.state.nc.us/ahcdr
This registry is maintained by the North Carolina Secretary of State and allows you to privately register your health care power of attorney, living will and other advanced health care directives online. This website includes information about North Carolina’s advanced health care directives forms and downloadable versions of the forms.
Social Security Administration
www.ssa.gov
The Social Security Administration website is a great source of information about social security retirement benefits, social security disability benefits and supplemental security income.
Elder Law
National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys, Inc.
www.naela.org
The National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys, Inc. (NAELA) is a professional association of attorneys who are dedicated to improving the quality of legal services provided to seniors and people with special needs.
Friends of Residents in Long Term Care
www.forltc.org
Friends of Residents in Long Term Care is a nonprofit citizen advocacy organization for residents in North Carolina’s long term care facilities and their families.
CMS Nursing Home Compare
www.medicare.gov/nursinghomecompare/search.html
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, a U.S. federal agency, maintains a five-star quality rating system to help consumers, their families, and care-givers compare nursing homes more easily. It contains detailed information about every Medicare and Medicaid-certified nursing home in the United States.
North Carolina Long Term Care Ombudsman Program
www.ncdhhs.gov/aging/ombud.htm
The Long Term Care Ombudsmen is a state agency program that serves as an advocate for residents in nursing homes and adult care homes (rest homes/assisted living) throughout North Carolina. Ombudsmen receive and investigate complaints made by or on behalf of long term care residents and work for their resolution. The Ombudsman Program is an advocacy program, not a regulatory agency.
Durham County Department of Social Services Long Term Care Website
longtermcare.durhamcountync.info
This website is maintained by the Durham County Department of Social Services and includes information about long term care facilities and contact information for all the long term care facilities in Durham County.
Special Needs Law
Special Needs Alliance
www.specialneedsalliance.com
The Special Needs Alliance (SNA) is a national, not for profit organization of attorneys dedicated to the practice of disability and public benefits law.
Disability Rights North Carolina
www.disabilityrightsnc.org
Disability Rights North Carolina ( DRNC) is a private, tax-exempt, non-profit corporation that offers legal representation to children and adults with mental illness and developmental disabilities.
The Arc of North Carolina
www.arcnc.org
The Arc of North Carolina has been providing advocacy and services to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities since 1953. It is a great resource for families and individuals on all sorts of issues related to intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Medicare Eligibility For People With Disabilities
https://www.medicareplans.com/medicare-coverage-for-people-with-disabilities/
Compare your Medicare options as a person with a disability. Not every disability is a qualifying one, so it’s important to understand if you meet the requirements before applying. This guide is for people under the age of 65 who have questions about whether or not they might be eligible for Medicare.