Unsure of where to look or who to ask? Dial a N11 code!
As family caregivers, time is of the essence. When a task starts to take more time than we anticipated, it becomes a hassle and you start to feel that you are wasting precious time. There will also be a time where you are tired of browsing the web and just want someone to help you find the answers to your questions. From our interview with a diverse group of stakeholders, a recurring comment, when asked “how to improve or prevent caregiver burnout,” is having a hotline for caregivers to call when they need help.
Is there a hotline for caregivers? The answer is yes!
If I ask you to give me a three digit phone number, what is the first number that comes to mind? 911!
From a young age, we are taught to call 911 in case of any emergency, but have you ever wonder why 911 only has 3 digits? 911 is part of a nationally designated list of number known as N11 codes. These codes offer specific services such as emergency care or resource search. The number that is designated to help ANYONE find resources is 211.
Below is a list of N11 codes from the California Public Utilities Commission website. Take a moment to explore each and see which line will help you best address your need.
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“Community information and referral services. 211 service is provided by local community-based or government organizations that are authorized by the CPUC to use the 211 code to provide information and referrals to health and human services.”
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“Non-emergency governmental services. 311 service is administered by municipal governments.”
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“Local Directory Assistance. 411 directory assistance is provided by individual telecommunications service providers or independent providers.”
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“Traffic and Transportation information. The California Highway Patrol, California Department of Transportation, and local transportation agencies oversee 511 operations.”
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“General Customer Service. 611 service is provided by individual telecommunications service providers.”
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“Telecommunications Relay Service for the speech and hearing impaired. In California, 711 Relay service is provided through Hamilton Relay.”
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“Call-before-you-dig phone number for access to location of buried utilities. Underground Service Alert, a nonprofit organization, manages 811 calls and operates two call centers: USA North 811 for northern California and Dig Alert for southern California.”
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“Emergency services. The California Office of Emergency Services and local public safety agencies oversee 911 emergency service operations.”
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“National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. The United States Department of Health and Human Services' Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, in partnership with the Department of Veterans Affairs, administers the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, which is a national network of approximately 170 local and state funded crisis centers.”