Fair Care: Health for the Long Term

Nevada City, CA, 2000

When John Marshall caught a glimpse of glitter in the runoff at Sutter's Mill, not far from Sacramento, in 1849, the western slopes of the Sierra Nevadas became the destination for millions who raced to pluck gold from the sparkling streams and dig it from the ancient underground riverbeds. There were later gold rushes, too: an influx of people seeking an alternative lifestyle and independence in the hills began in the 1960s and continues today, and retirees seeking respite from the San Francisco Bay Area, Sacramento, and Los Angeles have moved there as well.

Today, the children and grandchildren of many of those who moved to the area for one kind of gold rush or another, require long-term care. Nevada County has twice as many seniors in its population as other California counties. The health delivery system is critically challenged. KVMR and FREED, a disability advocacy group, teamed up to spearhead a community-wide effort to deepen awareness of the problem and stir citizens to act.

Together they brought to light critical health care stories, particularly of isolated elders in need of long-term care, by producing brochures and fact sheets for mass mailings, coordinating with public access television, networking through in-home support services, making presentations at service clubs and other organizations to enlist participation, and generating print and audio for other media.

Midway through the project, KVMR and FREED expanded their coverage to include mental health issues after a patient from a local medical institution killed three people. Who Cares? was host to a two-hour live call-in the day after the shooting, as well as an hour call-in a few days later. Because of the community's concern about the state of mental health services, KVMR and FREED pledged their commitment to explore mental health issues and have plans for future town hall meetings and investigative reports. It is because of this dedication and responsiveness to community issues that KVMR receives positive feedback from an ever-expanding listening audience.

Other organizations that have committed to Who Cares? include state and local branches of the American Association of Retired Persons, the League of Women Voters, the Nevada County Medical Rights Group, the Lutz Senior Day Care Center, the Senior Center, and the Nevada County Department of Social Services.

Contact Information

Fair Care: Health for the Long Term
Joan Buffington, Project Director
Tel: 530-265-9073

FREED
Ann Guerra, Director of Services
Tel: 530-272-1732

Awards:

KVMR Round Three
2003 Social Consciousness Award to Joan Buffington
— KVMR Broadcaster's Award
Who Cares? program award
— National Alliance for the Mentally Ill, Nevada County Chapter
$14,500 to establish Gates Place, a peer empowerment center
—Nevada County Department of Behavioral Health
$250 Community Service Award to Spirit Peer Counselors
— Briarpatch Community Co-op