Know a senior who needs help during COVID-19? Call Senior Services for South Sound
Everyone knows someone: a neighbor, a family member, or a friend who’s over age 60 and could use an extra hand during the COVID-19 pandemic.
In Mason and Thurston counties, Senior Services for South Sound wants to offer that help — whether it be grocery or prescription pick-up, a new book to read, or a listening ear on the other end of a phone call.
The whole state’s been under orders to stay home to slow the spread of the new coronavirus that causes COVID-19 respiratory disease. But taking even essential trips out can be worrisome for older adults — public health officials believe people age 65 and older are among those at higher risk to experience severe illness if they contract COVID-19.
Looking beyond basic needs
Since the pandemic began, Senior Services for South Sound has been mostly focused on fulfilling baseline nutritional needs for clientele stuck at home, Executive Director Brian Windrope told The Olympian.
Before the pandemic, It had been delivering food to 214 people through its Meals on Wheels program, and Windrope said Thursday it’s now delivering to over 500 and the number is still growing by 5-10 people per day.
Now Senior Services wants to build on that baseline.
The non-profit organization shut down its facilities where seniors used to gather for meals when the pandemic began, Windrope said, and canceled its many programs, such as fitness classes, card games, trips, and lecture series. Those opportunities are integral to the organization’s mission to improve quality of life for people as they age, Windrope says.
“People should be fed,” he told The Olympian in a phone interview. “We agree on that. But then, in addition to that, the concern we have very much these days is seniors relied on us for entertainment, socializing, stimulation — all things we know we need as we age. ... You need to have a life.”
So, it’s launching a new campaign aimed at expanding its client base further and serving the full spectrum of needs, by asking the public a broad question: “Do you know a senior in need?”
Step 1: Make contact with thousands of seniors
Senior Services is already in touch with more than 2,000 area seniors, Windrope says, and volunteers build relationships and conduct wellness checks over the phone for those people regularly. But he estimates, based on U.S. Census data, there are tens of thousands of seniors the organization doesn’t yet have contact with.
The vast majority of those people are probably doing just fine, he says. But some, surely, must be struggling in some way right now.
Maybe they’re uncomfortable doing their own shopping and aren’t going to the store as often. Maybe they’re not going to Costco to fill their prescriptions because it feels too risky. Or maybe they don’t drive and are having trouble accessing public transportation now that Intercity Transit is operating on a reservation system.
Staff and volunteers will be reaching out in areas with known high concentrations of seniors, Windrope said, such as certain mobile home parks and facilities. But that won’t help connect everyone.
“We know there are seniors out there in those circumstances we don’t know about, and we aren’t going to know about them without the help of the public,” Windrope said.
Step 2: Get them what they need
Once Senior Services collects a name and phone number, a volunteer will first call with a list of questions, Windrope says, ranging from the basics of whether they’re getting the food they need to whether they’re getting enough social interaction.
Then, the organization will work to either fill their needs or find the right organization to fill them — of course, within the bounds of public health rules and guidelines that are in place to safeguard the health of volunteers and the people served, Windrope says.
The campaign is an effort birthed from the pandemic and resulting isolation, but Windrope expects it may have some durability. And, even within this pandemic, it’s unclear just how long seniors may remain isolated.
“We’re planning for prolonged isolation for seniors, so this program is in recognition of that,” Windrope said. “Anyone can buck up for a week, most people can buck up for a month or so, but we’re talking about ridiculous lengths of time. It’s just the dreadful new reality of our distancing from each other.”
How to connect, volunteer
If you or someone you know could use some extra help or a caring voice on the phone, provide Senior Services with a name and phone number by:
- Calling 360-586-6181 and listening for the prompt that directs to the program’s specific voicemail; or
- Sending an email to seniorneed@southsoundseniors.org.
Be sure to include why you’re calling, Windrope said.
If you need help breaching the subject with a neighbor, Windrope suggests checking in and following up small talk with a simple question, such as “I read about a new program that’s being offered by Senior Services for the South Sound, and they’re trying to find out if anybody needs help with food, medications, or maybe a book to read. I thought about you and was wondering if you could use any help like that?”
Those who are interested in volunteering can call that same phone number, Windrope said. Volunteers should have three qualifications: a big heart, empathy, and time.
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