Contact

Reaching the right resource at the right moment matters more in elder care than in almost any other domain. This page explains how to direct questions to the National Elder Care Authority, what geographic scope the reference network covers, how to frame an inquiry for the fastest useful response, and what realistic timelines look like. The goal is a genuine exchange of information — not a form letter back.

How to reach this office

The primary contact channel is email. Written inquiries allow for precise, documented responses — particularly important when the question involves something as consequential as choosing an elder care facility, long-term care insurance, or advance care planning, where a misread answer can ripple for years.

The general inquiry address is listed in the site footer, injected by the publishing template. For media, research collaboration, or correction requests — situations where a phone call would genuinely serve better than an email — note that preference in the subject line and an alternative contact method will be provided in the response.

A word on scope: this is a reference authority, not a placement agency, a care brokerage, or a crisis hotline. Families navigating urgent situations — an elder in immediate danger, suspected elder abuse, or a medical emergency — should contact the Eldercare Locator at 1-800-677-1116 (a free public service of the U.S. Administration on Aging) or call 911. Those channels are staffed and equipped for real-time intervention in ways a reference network is not.

Service area covered

The National Elder Care Authority publishes reference content with national scope across all 50 U.S. states, the District of Columbia, and U.S. territories where federal elder care programs — Medicare, Medicaid, and veterans' benefits — apply. Coverage of state-specific variation is intentional and ongoing; the Medicaid long-term care and veterans' elder care benefits pages, for example, both account for state-level program differences rather than treating federal rules as the whole story.

The reference network does not serve non-U.S. jurisdictions. Inquiries about Canadian, U.K., or Australian elder care systems — all of which operate under meaningfully different statutory frameworks — fall outside the editorial mandate.

One distinction worth drawing: national scope on the content side does not mean the network can make referrals to local providers. Locating a specific assisted living facility in a particular county, or finding a licensed home health aide within a 10-mile radius, requires local search tools. The Eldercare Locator and state-level Area Agencies on Aging are the appropriate channels for that kind of geography-specific search.

What to include in your message

A useful inquiry takes about 90 seconds to write well and saves everyone time. The following breakdown covers what to include:

1. The specific topic or page — Reference the relevant subject area (e.g., caregiver burnout, memory care facilities) so the response can be calibrated to the right depth.
2. The nature of the inquiry — Is this a factual correction, a content gap suggestion, a media request, a research collaboration inquiry, or a general question about published information?
3. The state or region involved — For questions touching Medicaid, state licensing, or rural elder care, state context shapes the answer significantly.
4. Any time sensitivity — Not all questions are urgent; noting when a decision needs to be made helps prioritize appropriately.
5. Whether a source citation is needed — Researchers and journalists often need the underlying statutory or regulatory reference, not just the plain-language summary. Flag this upfront.

What not to include: personal medical information, Social Security numbers, financial account details, or any data that would be sensitive if the email were intercepted. Reference inquiries do not require personal identifiers.

Response expectations

Email inquiries receive a substantive response — not an autoresponder — within 3 to 5 business days for standard questions. Correction requests that require editorial review, or inquiries involving complex elder care financial planning or legal considerations, may take up to 10 business days if primary sources need to be cross-checked before responding.

Two categories of inquiry get faster handling:

• Factual corrections with a cited source — If published content contains an error and the inquiry includes a link to the authoritative source (a statute, a federal agency publication, a peer-reviewed study), editorial review is prioritized.
• Media deadlines — Journalists working against a publication deadline should note that deadline explicitly. A 48-hour turnaround is possible in most cases when the deadline is stated upfront.

What responses will and will not include is worth stating plainly. Responses will provide accurate, source-grounded information about elder care topics, clarify published content, and point toward appropriate authoritative resources — including the Administration for Community Living, CMS, and NIST where relevant. Responses will not recommend specific facilities, attorneys, financial advisors, or care agencies by name. That boundary protects the integrity of the reference function.

For families at the beginning of a complex care decision — not sure where to start, overwhelmed by the landscape — the how to get help for elder care page and the family caregiver guide cover the structural terrain in a way that a single email exchange cannot match.