CORONAVIRUS (COVID-19) RESOURCE CENTER Read More

New Web Site for Seniors, Disabled

Aug. 21, 2001
Bay City News Service

OAKLAND, Calif. - Starting today, seniors, the disabled and caregivers in Alameda County can turn to the Internet to find information about health care services in an attempt to make in-home care easier.

The Network of Care project is designed to empower the 300,000 members of the county's elderly and disabled population, by helping them navigate through the often-confusing, fragmented health care programs that are available to them, says Assemblywoman Dion Aroner, D-Berkeley.

"Network of Care will help people find the resources they need without having to waste a lot of time searching," said Aroner, chairwoman of the Assembly's Human Services Committee.

"It will also provide invaluable assistance to service providers, who must serve their clients with a fragmented system," she added.

The Web site, located at www.alameda.networkofcare.org, is a community-based cyber-directory, which allows people who need care -- as well as their caregivers and health care providers -- to find the right services at appropriate times, and to educate themselves about issues that relate to their well-being.

The Web site, which is being test-piloted in the counties of Alameda and Sacramento, also allows seniors to find assistive devices and inform themselves on current and developing policy issues, and helps them to manage their affairs, interactions and important records.

Some 800 service providers in Alameda County are listed on the site, and their contact information can be obtained online using the site's easy-to-search databases.

The program is being paid for, in part, through a Long-Term Care Innovation Grant, signed by Gov. Gray Davis last year. Eventually, the Web site will be available in 14 languages and will comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act.