The Lunenburg County Seniors Safety Program is bringing a little cheer to its clients in the form of care packages.
The non-profit community based program runs out of the Bridgewater Police Services building, serving adults 55 years and older in Lunenburg County.
The care packs include fact sheets on resources available in the client’s area, personal protection items like gloves, mask, hand sanitizer, individual wipes, toilet paper and tissue and treats for humans and pets.
Chris Acomb, Senior Safety Coordinator for the Lunenburg County Seniors Safety Program, says they have a client base of over 100 in the county and assist them with safety concerns, offer presentations and education series.
She says the COVID-19 pandemic has created a lot of uncertainty and confusion and they are seeing a variety of challenges for their clients in food security, housing, seniors safety, and changes to routine.
“We have never faced something like this pandemic, none of us have, but we are very happy to say we are working with one of the most resilient populations there are,” she said.
“We are learning from them in this pandemic as much as we are hopefully teaching them.”
The care packages also include a Vial of Life, managed by VON, which stores important medical information, medications and personal information in a vial stored in the fridge.
Carole Hipwell, Senior Safety Coordinator for the Lunenburg County Seniors Safety Program, works in the same office as Acomb and says many of their clients don’t have access to normal communication routes and may miss out on important information and instructions.
“There are a number of seniors who are staying home because they are supposed to but they are still concerned about things and have questions. One of the things that can prevent seniors from getting information is lack of Internet or phone, so this is another way to get the information out there,” she said.
Staff are still in the process of collecting supplies,identifying clients who will receive a kit and collaborating with partners. The focus will be on the client base initially but they will expand on the program dependent on resources.
Acomb says 211 is an excellent resource and encourages people to call if they are looking for resources or help.
