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‘It lifts the spirits’, LRCA Senior’s Coordinator encourages community to check in with seniors

The LRCA has been calling seniors to check in on what services they may need
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(Pixabay)

Ladysmith seniors have been utilizing the LRCA’s 49th Parallel Phoners more than anything other program, senior’s coordinator Shirley Sloan said.

“We’ve been doing call-outs to seniors and encouraging it so they don’t go into stores,” Sloan said.

Usually the program only ran for Wednesdays, which is seniors day at the 49th Parallel. Now the program is available every day.

“We ask the volunteers not to do the shopping part,” Sloan said. “They usually do the shopping. They take the orders and shop for the seniors, but now they’re just taking the orders. Staff on the floor fill the orders and the store delivers the groceries.”

With all the call-outs she’s been doing, Sloan said that she’s heard a lot of appreciative comments from Ladysmith seniors. Many of the seniors are experiencing loneliness. Sloan suggests people check in on their elderly neighbours with a phone call.

“I’ll give you an example one woman gave me. One of her relatives put a note on her garage on her birthday and left her phone number on it, so she got birthday phone calls from people she didn’t know. It was wonderful for her,” Sloan said. “She said she even heard from teenagers.”

Sloan said that the LRCA is focused on calling seniors in the community, and communicating through the Ladysmith Seniors Society so they know what services are available to them, like transportation to medical services in Nanaimo or Duncan, and income tax filing.

Anyone who wishes to be added to the LRCA’s list for call-outs and communications is encouraged to call the LRCA at: 250-245-3079.





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