San Rafael, CA – The County of Marin Aging and Adult Services’ Information and Assistance (I&A) phone line is changing prefixes, yet its mission remains the same: to provide information and referrals to the full range of services available in the community to older adults, adults with disabilities, and their family caregivers.
Calls to (415) 473-INFO (4636) are answered from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. weekdays. The I&A email address has also been changed to 473INFO@marincounty.org.
To learn about the full range of services available in the community to older adults, adults with disabilities, and their family caregivers, call (415) 473-INFO. The old (415) 457-INFO line was well known but experienced technical challenges in recent years, including during the fall 2019 Public Safety Power Shutoffs by PG&E. With the likelihood of more power outages this year, plus potential wildfires and a continued shelter-in-place order because of the COVID-19 pandemic, I&A needed to boost the reliability of the phone line by bringing it into the County of Marin’s phone system.
Lee Pullen, director of HHS’ Aging and Adult Services Division, noted there is a dedicated team – including a social services supervisor and four social workers – that helps callers navigate available resources. The team provides personalized referrals to services including meals, transportation, caregiving and public benefits. The team also follows up with callers on inquiries requiring further research. All language translation services are available.
Before the shelter-in-place order, the unit averaged over 1,600 calls per month, with many requiring research and detailed expertise from I&A staff. The number of calls has increased since the order was put in place in March.
The unit also handles inquiries and assists with applications for the Long-Term Care Ombudsman, In-Home Supportive Services, and Meals on Wheels programs for most of Marin.
About 29% of Marin residents are 60 years old or older, a figure 10% higher than the average California county. That percentage is expected to eclipse the one-third threshold by 2025 and grow to an estimated 38% by 2030.
“Marin County has one of the oldest populations of any county in California, and it’s critical that our residents have the support they need,” Pullen said. “Through this Information & Assistance unit, we’re able to direct people to any number of services to help them improve their quality of life.”
The INFO line has been recognized for its service locally in a 2015-2016 Marin County Civil Grand Jury Report and nationally in 2017 by the National Association of Area Agencies on Aging.
In addition to the I&A unit, the Aging and Adult Services Division also includes Adult Protective Services, In-Home Supportive Services, the Long-Term Care Ombudsman program. It acts as the Marin Area Agency on Aging, which is the leading planner, administrator, and funder of services for persons over 60 and family caregivers in the county. Residents can call (415) 473-INFO for all those services except for Adult Protective Services; incidents of suspected elder or dependent-adult abuse should be directed to the Adult Protective Services line at (415) 473-2774.