Help look out for seniors in Revelstoke through COVID-19 challenges

A little goes a long way when it comes to giving your time

As we head into the eighth month and second wave of COVID-19, most of us have largely settled into this new reality. We have grown accustomed to wearing a mask, isolating when we are sick. Businesses, services and schools are mostly back up and running, and many of us have returned to a sense of normalcy and routine. But for many seniors, this isn’t the case.

With seniors’ activities remaining shut down, many are left with either no reason to leave the house or a crippling fear associated with it. This is especially worrisome with winter around the corner, where many are bound to feel even more isolated due to the weather. The sense of isolation that seniors are now feeling, coupled with the sheer duration of the isolation, has made everything from social outings to getting groceries more difficult.

“It’s hard,” says senior Clarence Dunlop who has lived in Revelstoke since the ’70s. For Dunlop, the hardest part has been the change in routine and the sudden stop to social outlets. “They shut everything down because of COVID.” Aged in his early 80s, Dunlop is still mobile but lives alone and relies on the help of community members.

Revelstoke steps up to help out

The good news is that the community has rallied around the needs of seniors in many spontaneous ways. Last winter, resident Sandra Gregory created Revelstoke Unstuck, a Facebook group to help identify seniors in need of shoveling.

This is not a new issue, nor is it COVID-19 specific, as every year seniors struggle with snow management and more. Ruth Boettger, previous president and long standing member of the Revelstoke Seniors Association explains that groups like Revelstoke Unstuck make a big difference because they invite citizens to look out for and identify vulnerable seniors, rather than placing the onus on the seniors to call in for help, which they don’t do so readily.

“The Seniors’ Centre reaches out to its membership, but it’s those that are not a part of the association and that do not have friends and family that we don’t always know how to reach,” she says.

While ad-hoc initiatives like Revelstoke Unstuck can make a big impact, they also rely on volunteers for everything. That means it can be easy to lose volunteers to family and work obligations. The Seniors Centre used to have a volunteer program called Helping Hands, where volunteers helped seniors out with yard work and snow removal, but it became too difficult to find and keep volunteers.

Gregory also at one point had to prioritize other work and when she did, things came to a bit of a halt. She says she plans on starting up Revelstoke Unstuck once again this year and has recruited the help of two other volunteers to help field calls and requests. She’s also counting on the donation of a snow blower to help make it easier for volunteers.

While Revelstoke Unstuck started around shoveling snow it also sends a strong message to those individuals receiving help. “Ultimately, it’s about reminding seniors that the people around them care, and it’s about easing their mind,” Gregory says.

Because so many seniors feel disconnected — especially now with COVID-19 — the simple gesture of noticing that they could use some help tells them they matter. Other simple gestures by community members that go a long way can be: saying hello, offering to help, inviting them to coffee or dropping off a meal. These are small ways to make a big difference to someone who is struggling.

Early in the pandemic, the Revelstoke Hospice identified this need for connection and volunteers set up a phone tree to check in on isolated seniors and they played tic-tac-toe on windows outside of Mount Cartier Court. For larger initiatives however, legalities can make getting anything off the ground a daunting task, even for those with the best intentions. That’s why having a formalized program can ensure that any potential liability issues are taken care of.

Recently, the City of Revelstoke conducted the Age Friendly Plan survey to find out more about the gaps in infrastructure and services. Results from this survey showed that many seniors would like help maintaining their homes and with tasks such as snow removal.

Thanks to emergency COVID-19 funding, organizations from the social sector are working together to address this gap. Community Connections, the Revelstoke Women’s Shelter, and the Revelstoke Community Response Network (CRN) are looking at ways to link up Community Connections’ Goods and Services Exchange platform with the database of volunteers created by the CRN at the onset of COVID-19. This will connect seniors and other vulnerable adults with help through the use of BC’s 211 service directory and the Safe Seniors Strong Seniors program which connects seniors to various supports and services. These can be social and emotional services, help with yard care or cleaning, assistance with groceries, or goods like winter clothing.

At the onset of the pandemic, the Revelstoke Women’s Shelter and the CRN also established a response program for vulnerable adults, and seniors in particular. Dunlop benefits from this, receiving regular check-ins from a volunteer, which make him feel supported. “It’s nice that she’s checking up on me, we have a talk and she makes sure everything is OK,” he says. “Sometimes she drops off some cookies and I like that too!”

At the heart of all of these initiatives still lies the selfless act of volunteering one’s time. Whether it is through a formalized program, an inspired, citizen-led initiative, or casually checking in on your elderly or vulnerable neighbours and offering help or assistance, volunteering your time to connect with a senior can renew their sense of hope and purpose. The connection one gains from helping another human in need far exceeds any other reward, because loneliness and isolation is something no one should have to normalize.

If you would like to support seniors and vulnerable adults in this community, contact [email protected] to be added to the volunteer database. Volunteer calls take into consideration skillsets, interest levels and time capacity.