Page 2 - Brandon Sun - Retirement 2021
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B2     retirement 2021     westman this week                                                                                the BranDOn sUn   n  Thursday  February 11  2021
                               n
            n
        vARIOUS EFFORTS                                         ernment, the program can be accessed through SEARCordinator@  to health restrictions.
                                                                  Funded by United Way Brandon & District and the federal gov-
                                                                                                                          Like Prairie Oasis, Seniors for Seniors is closed to the public due
                                                                prairieoasis.ca or 204-596-1176.                          Seniors are at the high-risk end of the spectrum when it comes
                                                                  Funding for the line runs out at the end of March, at which point   to pandemic health effects, and most of them are taking the lock-
        REACH OUT                                               Todd points seniors to the Age Friendly Brandon Telephone Infor-  down seriously as a result.
                                                                mation Line at 204-729-2525, which is currently staffed weekdays
                                                                                                                          “The main (call) I get is, ‘When can I get a vaccination?’ That
                                                                from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
                                                                                                                        seems to be a real concern, so I just share with them what’s in the
        TO SENIORS                                              line was originally created to offer an easy-to-access database of   papers or what’s on the radio that morning,” Schonewille said.
                                                                  Age Friendly Brandon board member Susan Boyachek said the
                                                                                                                          Others just want to chat, which typically lasts around the 15-min-
                                                                                                                        ute mark.
                                                                activities and resources for seniors.
                                                                                                                          “We do have a nice talk and I tell them to call back anytime,” she
                                                                  But with very little going on as a result of ongoing health restric-
        IN ISOLATION                                            tions, it has served a very different purpose since it launched a few   said.
                                                                                                                          Efforts such as this are important, she said, as she has noticed
                                                                months ago.
                                                                  “With activities being very limited, especially in-person, the tele-
                                                                                                                          “When you’re down, you just don’t feel like doing anything, and
                                                                phone line in itself is a way to connect with people,” she said.  many seniors’ health deteriorate over the course of the past year.
        BY TYLER CLARKE
                                                                  So far, they’ve only been getting between 10 and 20 calls per   then you’re more apt to sleep and just haven’t got that energy, and
          Social isolation, loneliness and depression are ongoing concerns   month, but she said it’s still 10 to 20 more people who got linked   we’re all like that regardless of whatever our age is,” she said.
        when it comes to seniors, but they’re of much greater prominence   with resources and a social contact, which she considers an early   Being around other people and socializing — which they can’t do
        lately.                                                 success.                                                right now — typically gives people the lift they need.
          “They’re not doing well,” Prairie Oasis Senior Centre executive   The friendly voice on the other side of the line is Seniors for Se-  Schonewille said they’re trying out a number of ways to reach
        director Steve Todd said.                               niors executive director Margaret Schonewille.          out.
          “They are less engaged when you talk to them — they’re more   Between these conversations and those with Seniors for Seniors   A curbside lending library for books and puzzles has been active,
        withdrawn, and I think that’s because of long-term isolation.”  regulars, she said it’s safe to say seniors, in general, are struggling.  they’ve put together gift baskets for seniors and host a weekly meal
          Just about everything has been shuttered during level red restric-                                            program called Dinner is Served.
        tions, Todd said, and Prairie Oasis is no exception.                                                              “We were concerned that seniors weren’t going to eat or couldn’t
          They were able to operate at limited capacity during level orange,                                            go to the store and things with everything happening so suddenly,”
        but he’d be reluctant to reopen any time soon, even if the govern-                                              Schonewille said.
        ment OK’d it.                                                                                                     Last week saw 330 meals go out, which cost seniors $10 and are
          “With that new (COVID-19) variant … I really think it’s going to                                              delivered free of charge by Royal LePage staff, who have been at it
        take off again, which is unfortunate,” Todd said. “Rather than open                                             since the pandemic started in March 2020.
        and close again, I’m going to keep motoring through with limited                                                  In addition to receiving the meal, she said the delivery offers
        contact.”                                                                                                       recipients  the opportunity to  chat with  the delivery person  and
          This limited contact has resulted in many seniors’ only connec-                                               something to look forward to each week.
        tion with people being through the Meals on  Wheels program,                                                      Seniors for Seniors is also in the process of starting up a walking
        which Prairie Oasis continues to operate.                                                                       buddy program so they have someone to walk with, alongside oth-
          Volunteer delivery person Eleanor McCallum said this is unfor-                                                er efforts.
        tunate, since she delivers seven to 14 meals in a single hour, so                                                 Schonewille encourages anyone interested in these programs, or
        contact is limited.                                                                                             in receiving a dose of soul-enriching human contact, to call the Age
          “You’re on such a short timeframe that you don’t have a lot of                                                Friendly Brandon Telephone Information Line at 204-729-2525.
        time to chat, but I try to access how well they’re doing.”
          These visits have become even shorter and less personal during                                                » tclarke@brandonsun.com
        the COVID-19 pandemic, she said, adding they’re currently limited
        to brief contact at their front door while wearing a mask.                                                      » Twitter: @TylerClarkeMB
          To help stay in contact with seniors, Prairie Oasis has also been
        running the Seniors’ Engagement and Referral Program, which of-  Seniors for Seniors executive director Margaret Schonewille is
        fers seniors someone to talk to by email, phone, FaceTime or limit-  the friendly voice behind the Age Friendly Brandon Telephone
        ed in-person limits at the centre or a public place.    Information Line. (Tyler Clarke/The Brandon Sun)


            COOkING THROUGH THE COvID-19 pANDEMIC



              With most social activities going by the wayside, why not give  own home and work with them,” Schonewille said, adding that
            cooking a go?                                                 during pre-COVID times they’d visit with them in person, but
              Brandon Seniors for Seniors Co-op Inc. has released the  now they bring them books or puzzles to help keep them stim-
            “Cooking Through the COVID-19 Pandemic” cookbook in part-     ulated.
            nership with Healthy Together Now/Healthy Brandon.             They also phone people “just to bring some people into their
              Executive director Margaret Schonewille said the majority of  lives.”
            contributors have been local seniors, and there’s “quite a vari-  Books can be ordered by calling 204-571-2050 or by drop-
            ety” of recipes in the $10 book.                              ping by 311 Park Ave. East between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. during
              Proceeds from the book go toward the Anti-Aging Isolation  weekdays.
            program.
              “We check in and we try to find seniors who are living in their  » The Brandon Sun





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