A Reassuring Contact
“It only takes a few minutes out of my day” commented Genny Vincent, a volunteer for Community Care’s recently launched Telephone Reassurance program for seniors. This program is available at no cost and is available to eligible seniors who reside in Prince Edward County.
Telephone Reassurance provides a friendly and familiar voice to people who live alone and feel isolated from the community because of their homebound status. The program operates 7 days a week. Community Care recruits, screens and trains volunteers who are assigned clients to call on a daily basis to assure safety and provide a sense of caring. If there is not an answer, an emergency contact person-as identified during the client intake process- is asked to verify the well-being of the individual. The emergency contact person will attempt to contact the senior and if necessary the police are called to check on the situation.
Everyone benefits from this program including both the volunteers and the seniors who are contacted on a daily basis. Each call is an opportunity to confirm safety as well as impart care and concern. This service provides a sense of security to the elderly population to give them a sense of belonging and reassurance. It provides them the personal touch of a person calling to check on their well-being each day. Genny Vincent, vice chair of Community Care’s board of directors is also a volunteer for the reassurance program. She says “the telephone reassurance program is a common sense approach to helping seniors stay living at home. I know how important the daily call is to the seniors I’m in contact with. I’m glad to help with this important program that supports seniors to stay living at home.”
Anyone interested in applying to receive daily reassurance calls or to volunteer to make calls is invited to contact Prince Edward Community Care at 476-7493. Volunteers may apply on-line at www.communitycareforseniors.org
The Prince Edward County Community Care for Seniors Association provides community support services to eligible seniors and adults with physical disabilities who reside in Prince Edward. Services include transportation, Meals on Wheels, seniors’ dinners, foot care clinics, assistance with forms, and reassurance checks. For information on these and other programs call Prince Edward Community Care at 476-7493, or stop in at the office located at The Armoury, 206 Main Street, Picton.