Are you facing tough decisions as you or a loved one grow older? The Anne Byron Waud Patient and Family Resource Center for Healthy Aging (the Waud Resource Center) can help you find the answers.

At the Waud Resource Center, skilled and compassionate professionals will help to answer your questions, using information from nationally recognized organizations such as the National Institutes on Health and the American Heart Association.

We understand how difficult it can be to talk about the issues and situations related to aging, particularly when it comes to disease and diminishing abilities. You may not know where to start looking for information, which information you can trust, or to whom you should talk.

Our friendly, knowledgeable staff can put you on the right path by helping to answer some of the questions you may have, including:

• What should I look for in a nursing home?
• How do I know whether it's safe for me or my parent to live at home?
• What is normal memory loss?
• Where can I find the latest information about a specific disease?
• Is there a good book about caring for a parent, spouse or other loved one?
• How do I talk to my parents about their health and independence?
• What is a Power of Attorney for Health Care?
• How can I cope with the death of a parent, spouse, sibling or other loved one?

The Waud Resource Center at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, Illinois, provides information free of charge on a wide range of topics related to healthy aging and caregiving. Among the many resources and services we offer our guests are:

• Books and videotapes written for families about a variety of topics, including:
  • Diseases
  • Maintaining health, independence and quality of life
  • Caregiving
  • Grief and hospice care
  • Nutrition and exercise
  • Complementary and alternative medicine options
• Computers with Internet access
• Brochures on community resources
• Personalized, professional consultation at the Waud Center or via our toll-free phone number.
• Benefits CheckUP: A free and confidential questionnaire that leads people 55 years and older to cost-saving benefits they may be missing.

Feel free to visit or call us even if you don't have specific questions. If you need someone to talk to about your own health or the health of a loved one, we're always happy to listen and offer advice.

Waud Resource Center
Johnston R. Bowman Health Center
Rush University Medical Center
710 South Paulina St., Suite 438
Chicago, IL 60612-3864
Phone: (800) 757-0202
Fax: (312) 942-6116