FREED Independent Living Center offers advocacy, information, referral, and assistance with aging and disability issues.

Web pages

• Home - https://freed.org/ - See the many program descriptions under SERVICES menu on home page
• Contact - https://freed.org/contact/

This resource is eligible for electronic referral.

Nevada County Now offers paratransit and senior on-demand dial-a-rides. There is no Sunday service. Service area includes Grass Valley, Nevada City, Penn Valley, Lake Wildwood, and other local areas (see link to map in Web Pages section below).

See bottom of this listing for info about evacuating with animals in event of disaster.

PARATRANSIT
The County of Nevada Transit Services administers an origin-to-destination/door-to-door paratransit service for persons with disabilities who, due to a mental or physical disability, are unable to use the fixed-route bus system, as mandated by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

Eligibility for Paratransit Service

• In order to become eligible for paratransit service, a passenger must complete an ADA application form and be certified as eligible. Forms (printer friendly and fillable PDF) are available on the web page and through the Nevada County Transit Office 530-477-0103 or toll-free 888-660-7433 and through Nevada County Now at 530- 271-7433…

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If you are having a life-threatening emergency call 9-1-1. For example, if you have lost power to essential life-sustaining medical devices and do not have backup power for them, or you have a medical need for temperature control.

FREED works with the California Foundation for Independent Living Centers (CFILC) and PG&E to support people with disabilities and older adults during a Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) event or other emergencies due to power shutoffs. The goal is to enable them to remain safe while independent in their residences and communities. 

Funding for some services listed below is ONLY for PSPS events (or other power outage events for which PG&E may activate FREED). There is no funding for generators. No generators are available through any of these programs.

FREED is available to possibly assist in several ways:

DISABILITY DISASTER ACCESS & RESOURCES (DDAR) - DDAR assists individuals with disabilities and older adults in disaster readiness and r… [read more]

The FREED Telephone Reassurance program is for anyone feeling lonely or isolated in Nevada County. A phone bank of volunteers makes phone calls Monday - Friday to check-in, chat, and socialize. Individuals who would like to receive telephone calls can choose to receive calls from one day a week up to 5 days a week. 
 
The FREED Friendly Visitor program matches Friendly Visitor participants to volunteers—who then get together to see movies, hang out, have conversations, play cards, go for a walk, or just talk. Volunteers can also meet by phone. 
 
Due to factors such as a lack of transportation or community inaccessibility, many seniors and people with disabilities go through prolonged periods of social isolation and loneliness. People who have disabilities identify numerous obstacles to community inclusion. In rural areas, especially, people are at risk for experiencing isolation which is a risk factor leading to many poor health outcomes.
 
Volunteers
Volu… [read more]

The California Department of Rehabilitation offers Vocational Rehabilitation services for Californians with disabilities and Student Services for students with disabilities.

You are eligible for DOR Vocational Rehabilitation services if you:

• have a disability and want to work
• are having trouble getting or keeping a job because of your disability
• need services such as job placement, training, and/or other job preparation to help you get or keep a job, or advance in employment

To get DOR Student Services:

• You must be a student (you need to be enrolled in school, but it's okay if you're on break or if school hasn't started yet).
• You're between the ages of 16 and 21 (including 16 and 21).
• At least one of these options is true:
  • You have a 504 Plan, or you’re eligible for one if you want one.
  • You have an IEP.
  • You have a disability.
  • Others think you have a disability.

DOR programs include:

• Assistive Technology
• Independent Living
• Services for people who are blind
• Servi…

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Any Nevada County resident who has a current positive test result for COVID-19 or who has long COVID may be eligible for some County services if they have no other support available from family or friends. Positive test result can be from a testing site or a home antigen test. If a home test, a public health nurse will determine if a PCR/on site test is needed. People in these situations can call 211 to be put on a list. County staff will contact them to see if they can assist with services.

All COVID-19 support referrals received over the weekend or on holidays will be reviewed the next business day (regular hours are Mon-Fri 8am-5pm excluding holidays). Hotel rooms are not available as an isolation resource.
 
For people with a current positive COVID test result, the County may be able to provide supplies that can be ordered online for delivery:

• groceries
• toiletries
• diapers
• cleaning supplies

For COVID-19 test kits call Nevada County COVID-19 Nurse Line at 530-265-7258 and arrange f… [read more]

PSPS is a Public Safety Power Shutoff event. Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) may do a PSPS when danger of wildfires is high. PSPS Care Coordination is a program to help PG&E customers who have health and medical needs that require electricity. Care Coordination helps to get a plan in place for resources that can be used during a PSPS power outage event. Callers will receive a follow up call from Connecting Point staff so they can create their plan. The care coordination call will typically take 30-45 minutes.
 
Who qualifies?
Those who have access & functional needs, and/or are electricity dependent during a power outage (examples include medical equipment or medications that rely on power, accessibility equipment that relies on power, etc).
 
What is Care Coordination?
Care Coordination helps you create a safety plan by providing information about what to do before, during, and after a power outage. The Care Coordinator can help you:

• Build a list of emergency c…

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The Fire Safe Council of Nevada County offers brush chipping that has been cleared from defensible space of any permanent structure, and/or 30 feet from any roadside or driveway used for evacuation purposes.

Wait time for this service can be weeks or months. The chipping service is limited to 4 hours per customer per application for $75/hour. A limited number of applications may qualify for free chipping services based on income, age, and/or disability.

Web pages

• Home - https://www.areyoufiresafe.com/
• Chipping Program - areyoufiresafe.com/programs/chipping-program
• Online application form: https://clienthub.getjobber.com/client_hubs/0ea7b196-f50e-4e4b-9a3a-f2f6486280f3/public/work_request/new?source=social_media. Submit application form online. If any additional information is required, Fire Safe Council will contact applicants directly.
• Flyer: https://cdn-cms.f-static.net/uploads/2149934/normal_5de58a5e8a7fb.pdf (this flyer has a good list of DOs and DON'Ts…

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Fire Safe Council crew members perform defensible space clearing, according to the standards and best practices taught in the Defensible Space Advisory Visit training.

This service is modeled after the Access & Functional Needs program, but since this is a paid service, there are no income, age, or disability requirements to meet. To obtain a no-obligation quote for services, complete the request form at the link below. Wait times for this service may be lengthy due to many applications and limited number of crew members.

Web pages

• Home - https://www.areyoufiresafe.com/
• Form to request Reduced Cost Defensible Space Clearing Service - https://clienthub.getjobber.com/client_hubs/0ea7b196-f50e-4e4b-9a3a-f2f6486280f3/public/work_request/new?source=social_media
• Contact - https://www.areyoufiresafe.com/contact-us

Seniors First offers Meals on Wheels and Senior Cafes.

Meals on Wheels
A service designed to help Older Adults Age in Place by targeting people who are home alone during the day and who have difficulty preparing simple meals. For clients who need the service temporarily.

Eligibility:
At the time services are provided, clients shall be:

• 60 years of age or older, sufficiently functionally impaired and homebound; or,
• The spouse, of any age, of an eligible client; or,
• A person with a disability (of any age) who lives with an eligible client.

Easy
Hot meals are delivered to the door Monday through Friday (except for holidays)

Fresh & Healthy
Meals are prepared fresh daily in accordance with nutritional guidelines for seniors

Flexible
We offer regular service to those seniors who are homebound, as well as short term services for those recuperating from recent illness, hospitalization or convalescent care.

Enrollment
For more information or to enroll in Meals on Wheels contact us at (530) 878-5718.

F… [read more]