BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) – Kern County has one of nine newest Aging and Disability Connection programs across the state, and those leading the local effort hope it will help bring a quicker help to those in need.

The program is a partnership between Kern County Independent Living Center and Kern County Aging and Adult Services.

Jimmie Soto, executive director of the Kern County Independent Living Center, said, “Okay, you call that agency for food, you call that agency for housing, you call that agency for counseling services and you call this agency for health services. ”

This is what most seniors and people with disabilities in our county face to access help. Something Soto said probably discouraged people who really needed help from getting it.

In Kern County, of the 900,000 residents, about eight percent are disabled people under the age of 65, and about 11 percent of the population is over 65. This means that about 19 percent of Kern County residents could use these services, but face a lot of “bureaucracy”.

“So instead of having them call five different places, or three or whatever, the intent is for them to call one place. We’re putting together everything they need, and then connecting resources on aging and disability will start calling on these other partners to put resources in place.”

Prior to this program, there was a lot of overlap in the services they provide and the people they help, creating this back-and-forth confusion for clients.

“Some people with disabilities may have this problem of being able to say everything that happened, so this ability to constantly have to repeat things, to come back to them, it creates a lot more distrust of systems,” said Jeremy Oliver, program director at Kern County Adult and Senior Services.

Oliver explained that the program revolves around new software that has basically created a database that these organizations can use and then they do the call for the patient and follow up.

“We get the information and probably the next day we’ll call that other person to make sure the services are taken care of.”

They are also working to expand to other organizations that provide health services to these communities.

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