Long-Term Care Planning Goes Digital (and Free) with Gilbert Guide Online

First-of-its-Kind Web-Based Service Connects Caregivers with Top U.S .Long-Term Care Facilities and Services

San Francisco, CA, September 25, 2007 --(PR.com)-- Gilbert Guide, a leading provider of regional senior care reference books and online resources, today announced that it is offering its comprehensive search portal for free to the public. Gilbert Guide Online grants family and professional caregivers convenient, real-time access to the entire spectrum of Gilbert Guide’s expert reviews on the best long-term care facilities and services throughout the U.S. Previously, Gilbert Guide offered this data through a paid subscription format.

Jill Gilbert, CEO of Gilbert Guide, said, “Opening Gilbert Guide Online to the public will make consumers and providers within the long-term care industry more aware of quality standards. This information should be available to everyone.”

A Harris poll, published in July, reported that the number of US adults who have searched for health-related information online rose from 117 million in 2005 to 160 million in 2007—an increase of 37 percent over a two-year time span.

“The process of locating quality long-term care solutions is often a race against the clock,” said Karen Grimisch, founder and Executive Director of Alzheimer's Services of the East Bay. “This is especially true for families that are geographically scattered, with adult children living hundreds, if not thousands of miles away from their parents. Gilbert Guide Online is an indispensable resource for local and long-distance caregivers alike.”

Users are able to conduct their long-term care search from anywhere they can access the Internet. Key features and benefits of Gilbert Guide Online include:

• Searchable Database—Allows users to customize their search based on a host of specific criteria, including geography, cost/reimbursement, specialized scope of care (Alzheimer’s/dementia), type of facility (nursing home, assisted living, et al.), languages spoken, dietary needs, and pet accommodations.
• Interactive Digital Map—Enables users to identify facilities based upon preferred geographic locations that are close to home, friends and familiar surroundings.
• Facility Updates & Images—Provides users with the most up-to-date information on Gilbert Guide-reviewed facilities, including significant service upgrades and pricing changes. Facilities can also upload photos to Gilbert Guide Online.
• Favorites Page—Users can bookmark facilities to create customized lists that they can return to later.

Gilbert Guide Online is the latest offering within the company’s evolving suite of Web-based services designed to support consumers through the emotional process of finding long-term care solutions. The interactive care assessment tool featured on Gilbert Guide.com guides users through a series of targeted questions about the senior’s health, cognitive and physical status as well as their social needs. Users receive a tailored care-planning report with key recommendations.

Harnessing the power of emerging Web 2.0 technologies, Gilbert Guide.com also promotes dialogue around senior issues and trends through its blog. Seniors, care professionals and the Gilbert Guide team explore topics such as breaking Alzheimer’s research and alternative cancer treatments as well as more controversial subjects like senior driving and sexuality.

“With Gilbert Guide Online, we are extending a lifeline to families near and far who are dealing with the stress of finding outside care assistance for their aging parents and loved ones,” said Gilbert. “Equally important is empowering geriatric care professionals with time-saving resources that allow them to better serve families in crisis. As we continue to grow, we remain highly focused on integrating new technologies that optimize the process of finding long-term care on behalf of our extended community of seniors, family caregivers, and geriatric care professionals.”

Contacts:
Jill Gilbert or Jason Gilbert
(415) 668-1532
jill@gilbertguide.com, jason@gilbertguide.com

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Gilbert Guide
Jill Gilbert
415-668-1532
www.gilbertguide.com
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