>>VIC MICOLUCCI: 9.17 ON THIS FRIDAY MORNING AND AN ESTIMATED 44 MILLION AMERICANS ARE
CURRENTLY UNDER
THE RAPIDLY RISING NUMBER OF
FULL-TIME EMPLOYEES WHO
ARE ALSO THE PRIMARY CAREGIVERS
FOR THEIR ELDERLY
FAMILY MEMBERS AND GIVEN THE
COVID 19 PANDEMIC AND OUR
NATION’S CIRCUMSTANCES. THE
ROLE OF THESE CAREGIVERS IS
BECOMING AN EVEN MORE
CRITICAL JOB, SENIORS LIVING
ALONE ARE NOW SO MUCH MORE
ISOLATED AND MANY CAREGIVERS
NEED EXTRA SUPPORT DURING THIS
STRESSFUL TIME. SO TO TALK ABOUT THIS ELDER SOURCES CEO LINDA LEVIN JOINS US NOW TO
DISCUSS WHAT RESOURCES
CAREGIVERS NEED HOW THEY CAN
GET HELP AND WHAT OUR COMMUNITY
CAN DO TO
SUPPORT THEM. DURING THIS
CRITICAL TIME LINDA. THANK YOU
FOR JOINING US IT
REALLY IS UNPRECEDENTED AND YOU
HAVE TO ADAPT AS YOU GO.
>>EMILY BOYER: GOOD MORNING.
YES, YES, THIS IS TRUE
FLEXIBILITY RIGHT NOW IS ARM ON
TRACK.
>>VIC MICOLUCCI: SO TELL ME
ABOUT ELDERS SOURCE AND WHAT
YOU DO HERE IN OUR COMMUNITY
NOT EVERYBODY KNOWS THE NAME A
LOT OF PEOPLE DO.
WHAT DO YOU DO HERE IN
NORTHEAST, FLORIDA AND HOW ARE
YOU HAVING TO CHANGE THE WAY
YOU DO IT BECAUSE OF THIS
OUTBREAK.
>>LENA PRINGLE: UNDER SOURCE IS
THE AREA AGENCY ON AGING AN
AGING AND DISABILITY RESOURCE
CENTER FOR 7 COUNTIES IN
NORTHEAST, FLORIDA. WE FUND THE
PROGRAMS AND SERVICES THAT HELP
OLDER ADULTS LIVE IN AGE IN THE HOME AND COMMUNITY SENIOR CENTER ACTIVITIES AND MEAL
SITES AS WELL AS IN-HOME
SERVICES AND THEN WE HAVE THE
AGING AND DISABILITY RESOURCE
CENTER HELPLINE THAT HELPS TO
CONNECT OLDER ADULTS TO THOSE
RESOURCES IN
THE COMMUNITY. RIGHT NOW OLDER
SOURCE IS WORKING REMOTELY
TRYING TO PHYSICALLY DISTANCE
STAY
SOCIALLY CONNECTED. 2 OLDER
ADULTS IN OUR PROVIDERS TO
DELIVER
THOSE SERVICES. EVEN THOUGH
WE’RE WORKING REMOTELY WE ARE
STILL CONTINUING TO TAKE CALLS
TO OUR HELPLINE SO ANYONE STILL
NEEDING HELP AND SERVICES
SHOULD BE CALLING OUR HELPLINE.
>> AND LINDA WHAT IMPACT HAVE
YOU SEEN BECAUSE OF THIS VIRUS.
>> WELL WE’RE A LOT OF PEOPLE OLDER ADULTS ISOLATING CHOOSING TO ISOLATE WHICH IS A
GOOD THING. OR IF SOME HAVE ACTUALLY REFUSED SERVICES COMING INTO
THEIR HOME WHICH AS LONG AS
THEY’RE ABLE TO FIND AN
ALTERNATIVE SOURCE OF THOSE
SERVICES THAT’S
THAT’S GOOD. WE ARE STILL
DELIVERING SERVICES TO OLDER
ADULTS IN THE COMMUNITY IN
THEIR HOMES COME DELIVER MEALS
ARE STILL GOING. SENIOR CENTERS
HAVE
BUT THEY HAVE MADE
ACCOMMODATIONS TO BE ABLE TO
HAVE SENIORS COME AND PICK UP
MEALS OR TO HAVE MEALS
DELIVERED TO THEIR HOME.
>>VIC MICOLUCCI: SO OBVIOUSLY
OUR SENIORS HERE WHO WE LOVE SO
MUCH ARE NOURISH AND THEY’RE
GETTING WHAT THEY NEED.
BUT THERE CAN BE AN EMOTIONAL
DISCONNECT BECAUSE THEY ARE
ALONE AND WE HAVE ISSUES WITH
LONELINESS HOW DO YOU COMBAT
THAT RIOT.
>> THAT IS A CONCERN
THAT.
>> ISOLATION AND LONELINESS
ESPECIALLY ON THE LONG-TERM
BASIS AND SINCE WE DON’T KNOW
HOW LONG THIS IS GOING
TO BE THE IMPACT OF THAT ON
THEIR EMOTIONAL WELL-BEING AND
MENTAL WELL-BEING THERE ARE THINGS THAT FAMILY AND NEIGHBORS AND FRIENDS CAN
DO TO AGAIN PHYSICALLY DISTANCE
BUT SOCIALLY STAY CONNECTED.
WE HAVE A TELEPHONE REASSURANCE
PROGRAM THAT FIRM CLIENTS
CAN CALL TO GET CONNECTED TO A
VOLUNTEER IN FACT ANYONE WHO
WANTS TO VOLUNTEER TO MAKE
THOSE FRIENDLY CALLS TO STAY
SOCIALLY CONNECTED TO OLDER
ADULTS RATHER ISOLATED.
THEY CAN CALL OUR HELPLINE TO
BOTH VOLUNTEER TO FIND OUT MORE
ABOUT THAT SERVICE AND FOR
CAREGIVERS
WHO ARE ALSO ALREADY ISOLATED
EVEN MORE SO NOW WE HAVE A
VIRTUAL CAREGIVER SUPPORT GROUP
WHERE THEY CAN CONNECT USING
TECHNOLOGY
CHATTING CONFERENCING
FACILITATOR AND OTHER
CAREGIVERS AND AGAIN PEOPLE CAN
FIND OUT MORE ABOUT BOTH THE
TELEPHONE REASSURANCE. THE
VIRTUAL CAREGIVER SUPPORT GROUP
AND OTHER SERVICES BY CALLING
OUR HELPLINE ARE GOING TO OUR
WEBSITE PROVIDERS ALSO BEING
VERY CREATIVE. I’M CALLING
ON PEOPLE TO CHECK ON THEM IN
MAKING SURE THAT THEY’RE
DOING OK.
>>VIC MICOLUCCI: WHEN 11 THE
CEO OF ELDER SOURCE, THANK YOU
SO MUCH AND THAT’S A GREAT
POINT BECAUSE WE CAN’T FORGET
ABOUT OUR CAREGIVERS WHO REALLY
ARE HEROES THEY DO
SO MUCH. AND NOW THEY DO HAVE
THOSE BURNOUTS AND WE
APPRECIATE YOU AND ALL OF THE
PEOPLE INVOLVED WITH THE
ORGANIZATION FOR WHAT YOU’RE
DOING HERE IN
OUR COMMUNITY, ONE MORE TIME IF
YOU WANT TO GET INFORMATION
ABOUT ALL OF THOSE RESOURCES.