Council on Aging

Post date: Jan 28, 2019 6:45:25 PM

The Williamstown Council on Aging continues to be present in people's lives for reasons other than Coronavirus. We are answering many calls for information and referral from elders, caregivers, friends and other agencies seeking resources and general advice. When the pandemic first arrived in Williamstown a large focus revolved around the need to be secure while managing life in an acceptable manner. Searches for masks, hand sanitizer, food delivery, toilet paper and information on, well, essentially what's safe and unsafe. Now it's a completely different story. Places to walk and hike, eat, swim, take grandkids, all manner of outdoor activities have rolled into the question boxes. Of course, the business as routine issues are coming back around as well-travel to hairdressers, the library, Spring Street, banks and elsewhere"out there" which were normal destinations prior to pandemic. People still have issues with home care, community based options, insurance issues, paperwork questions, none of these stopped because of Coronavirus. They know who to call!

While we continue to shop and deliver groceries to some compromised elders, many have begun shopping on their own without assistance. Life returns to normal with a mask and hand sanitizer.

Speaking of masks, we have provided at least 1 cloth washable, reusable mask to Highland Woods, Proprietors Field and Meadowvale, numerous community members of a certain age, volunteers at the North Adams Food Pantry and 100 single use to the Williamstown Food Pantry for distribution. We have a few left for distribution from what we think is round 1.

We spent a chunk of the end of last week dispensing Farmer Market Coupons and under the new abnormal this has been a bit of a drawn out effort. Rather than just stop by, participants need to make appointments to come and get them, staggered to avoid contact, etc so...rather than over and done in a couple days, this will take a week. But we'll manage. We've been delivering the monthly Brown Bag supplies to individuals around town instead of the usual pick up. Last Friday it took longer than usual, each order was a box weighing in at about 30lbs filled with seasonal veggies and fruit. A big hit all over!

We have assumed the delivery process for elders residing at Proprietors Field for recipients of the Regional School District option as well.

We've now had 3 successful, spaced out, no contact between people foot care clinics, our Tai Chi classes are outside on the grass behind Harper, Yoga has been live on zoom but soon one of those classes will be outside here as well within a week. There will be outside Bingo in August. On Friday, Karyn O'Toole and I were strategising a way to hold a decently spaced, outdoor delivery service for the annual high (this year iced) tea. No China or silver though...and no need for formal indoor long gloves either. Maybe goofy hats though...

We've also been working with people around issues of isolation with members of the elder community. Pandemic restrictions have been particularly hard on individuals who are living alone and outside of a community housing complexes where neighbors are able to form association bubbles and be together. . We have been encouraging people to reach out to us and to friends regularly, and are providing intervention information and other support as needed..