Farmingville, NY - Recently, Brookhaven Town Supervisor Ed Romaine (center) met with United Way of Long Island Community Impact Program Director, Trish Rivers (left), and Family Service League President and CEO, Karen Boorshtein (right), to promote the launch of “Safe at Home for Seniors.” Over the past months, United Way has responded to the needs of Long Islanders experiencing unparalleled hardship. Through United Together: A Response Fund for COVID-19, nearly 10,000 families in Nassau and Suffolk Counties have received financial assistance.
Now, as the organization transitions from response to recovery, its focus is protecting Long Islanders that are most vulnerable and at risk, especially the elderly, who have been greatly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic taking over 3,000 lives on Long Island. While social distancing protects the health of seniors, it also severs ties to critical resources, including access to food, medication and socialization.
United Way’s Safe at Home for Seniors health and safety program supports low-income older adults in the Towns of Brookhaven, Islip, Babylon and Huntington. The program allows this vulnerable population to remain in the comfort and safety of home, where they are best protected while maintaining a full life.
United Way is working in partnership with its community agency network, including the Family Service League, to select and train Community Navigators in working with seniors. They provide “Safe at Home Kits” containing personal PPE items and staying safe information cards, as well as ensure that clients have adequate groceries and personal hygiene supplies. In addition, Community Navigators help fight depression and loneliness by helping seniors stay in touch with loved ones virtually, and connect them to mental health and support services, if needed.
Supervisor Romaine said, “The Town of Brookhaven provides many services for our senior residents and we have a long-standing relationship with the United Way, so the Safe at Home for Seniors program is a perfect fit. By partnering with the United Way, we are better equipped to meet the needs of the people who are most vulnerable to the COVID-19 virus. It makes very good sense for us to work together and help as many people as we can during this difficult time.”
For more information about the Town of Brookhaven’s Division of Senior Citizen’s Services, please go to the Town website, or call 631-451-9191.
“The senior population is experiencing unparalleled hardship in the face of COVID-19. Safe at Home for Seniors is part of United Way of Long Island’s United Solution of working in partnership with agencies across Long Island to protect and assist our 62+ community. Collectively, we need to be best prepared to serve our region’s most fragile, especially should a second wave of the pandemic strike our region,” said Theresa A. Regnante, President and CEO of United Way of Long Island.
The Safe at Home for Seniors program:
•Protects low-income seniors from COVID-19 with safety kits with PPE and sanitizers as well as ensure that they practice safe hygiene and prepare them for necessary trips out in the public.
•Helps to manage everyday tasks such as stocking up on groceries, preparing or ordering hot meals, coordinating transportation to medical appointments and connection to medical alerts.
•Helps seniors communicate with loved ones and health care professionals with virtual devices.
•Facilitates in-person screening assessments (physical health, emotional health, depression, Alzheimer’s and Dementia).
•Reports any notable health or mental health changes to family or designee.
•Facilitates health, safety, accessibility and universal design home check screenings for seniors. If needed, coordinate minor home or accessibility repairs.
For seniors in need of assistance, contact 211 Long Island for information and referrals related to support services. Dial 2-1-1, or outside of Nassau and Suffolk Counties 1-888-774-7633 and visit 211longisland.org. 211 Long Island operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. To learn more about or to support Safe at Home, visit www.unitedwayli.org/safeathome.
