A phone line to assist seniors looking for support during the COVID-19 pandemic is now available.
Glenda Winger is the Manager of the Williams Lake and District Activity Centre and explains how this Provincial number works when Lake City seniors call it
“Seniors who are thinking they are going to need or are in need of grocery shopping or various needs can call 2-1-1, it’s a provincial answering service that will direct their calls to us to check in with them, to get them set up and hopefully be able to provide their services. This is for seniors 65 years of age and older”.
Once a senior has registered with the provincial phone number, Winger explained what happens next.
“They will send us, either myself or Kimberly Futcher, Better Home Program Coordinator, an email and we try within 72-hours to contact that person to set up, basically a contact with them, we will check in with them regularly after we have their contact information to see if they do need services”.
Winger added the services they’re offering to seniors in Williams Lake are focused on helping them receive their essentials by doing grocery shopping, picking up prescriptions, and even friendly phone calls to those finding themselves staying home and feeling lonely.
“If they’re nervous or worried about going out in the public or have a compromised immune system”, Winger said, “It’s best if they do stay home . We don’t go into their home, we can only do door to door service”.
Through the Williams Lake Activity Centre and the Better at Home Program, they’ve received ten referrals and so far nobody has needed services, they have just registered so that if they do need services those people will be contacted regularly to see if they need something.
Winger said, “If some of those referrals were not seniors as the 65 but got through the system because we’ve had a few of those, we referred them off to the DASH Program and the Shopping Angels Program”.
The 2-1-1 line is available to seniors throughout the province who can call between 8 and 4 Monday to Friday as well as the BC-211 website for them to register.