Theodore R. Kulongoski
Governor

NEWS RELEASE______________
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 26, 2005

Media Contacts:
Holly Armstrong, 503-378-6169
Anna Richter Taylor, 503-378-6496
Tom Towslee (DHS), 503-947-5207
Lee Girard (DHS), 503-947-1199

GOVERNOR LAUNCHES COMPREHENSIVE HEALTH CARE WEBSITE FOR SENIORS & PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES

New website provides one-stop shop for long-term care and other health care information

(Salem, OR) – Governor Ted Kulongoski today launched the “Network of Care,” a multilingual, community-based Website that provides comprehensive long-term care information and education to the thousands of Oregon seniors and persons with disabilities.

“As Oregon’s population ages – and as 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,” Governor Ted Kulongoski said. “Network of Care will help Oregonians achieve that goal 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,” Governor Kulongoski said.

“Network of Care” is the first outcome of Senate Bill 870, passed by the 2005 Oregon Legislature, 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 website (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 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 Website 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 (OPI). Trilogy Integrated Resources developed the site.