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Governor Launches Comprehensive Healthcare Web Site for Seniors and People with Disabilities

Oct 26, 2005
Oregon Department of Human Services - Seniors and People with Disabilities

Salem, Ore. – Governor Ted Kulongoski today launched the Network of Care, a multilingual, community-based Web site that provides comprehensive long-term care information and education to the thousands of Oregon seniors and persons with disabilities.

"Network of Care represents a breakthrough solution for the elderly and people with disabilities and those who care for them,” the governor said during an event marking the posting of the new site on the Internet. "As Oregon’s population ages – and our older citizens live longer – more and more Oregonians and their families will be faced with choices about where to live and the kind of assistance they need to maintain their health and independence for as long as possible," said the governor.

"Network of Care will help Oregonians achieve that goal," he continued, "by providing a ground-breaking new health service for older Oregonians, Oregonians with disabilities, and their families that makes critical information available about Oregon’s long term care services on one user-friendly Web site."

Network of Care is the first outcome of Senate Bill 870 to “modernize” Oregon Project Independence, which provides the services necessary to keep seniors in their own homes. This modernization will provide tools such as the Network of Care to expand access to services to people with disabilities.

The new Web site (www.oregon.networkofcare.org) gives seniors and their caregivers the ability to find the right service at the right time, to educate themselves about the issues they care about, find assistive devices, understand current policy initiatives and communicate directly to elected officials. It will help them manage their affairs and keep important records.

It also provides a comprehensive directory of service providers, easy-to-search libraries and vital information about specific disorders, pending legislation and advocacy, as well as daily news articles from around the world concerning aging and disabilities. The site is fully ADA-compliant and available in multiple languages.

“The goal of this project was simple: Help the community age with dignity,” the governor said. “With the launching of Network of Care, Oregon is leading the way in helping seniors and people with disabilities lead independent lives.”

The Web site is a cooperative project of the Oregon Association of Area Agencies on Aging and Disabilities (O4AD) and the Department of Human Services. Funding for the site is from the Older Americans Act and Oregon Project Independence. Trilogy Integrated Resources developed the site.