Those who are feeling isolated during the holidays while they adhere to warnings and stay home to avoid COVID-19 are being urged to reach out to New Canaan Human Services.
“Give us a call. Make an appointment. Come in. We will keep our distance. We will have our masks on. But we really, really would love to see you,” Director of Human Services Bethany Zaro said in a program on NCTV.
“We are here, so use us. Just coming in. Calling us is socializing and this is what is going to get us through,” she said during “Navigating Today’s New Normal,” episode five.
“It is going to be a long winter,” Zaro said in an interview with the Advertiser on Zoom. “If anyone is feeling any type of stress, sadness, loneliness depression,” and their needs exceed what the four-person Human Services Department offers, they will find resources for the individual.
“We really want Human Services to be a place that they think of when they are looking for a resource,” Zaro said, as she was joined in the interview by Senior Services Coordinator Marcella Rand, who was also in the NCTV program.
“We want to be known to seniors,” Rand said.
“We are approachable,” Zaro said.
The goal is that “when there is a need without thinking twice they will call us first instead of stressing and worrying about where they are going to find help,” Rand said. “We are here.”
“Our main concern is this isolation issue with COVID,” Rand said. The warnings in the news are “making people feel a little anxious. I think they are forcing themselves to stay in and it causes a lot of loneliness.”
Call home
Rand and Zaro do not wait for people to call them. They have two call lists to contact seniors and the vulnerable population.
“Even just a quick phone call can serve to make you feel a little more connected,” Rand said. “It is just an ear. Sometimes people just want to talk about how they are feeling.”
The vulnerable population are “residents who are at higher risk of an event (public health, weather or disaster related) impacting them more seriously due to some type of pre-existing personal circumstance, such as age, living situation and/or health issue,” Zaro said.
Another list, because “there are over 800 seniors 80 years and up between Lapham Community Center New Canaan Human services. We are contacting them,” Rand said.
“It is really only a 15-minute conversation and it works wonders,” Rand said. “I have noticed that over and over again.”
“Although a lot of these seniors may not need us for specific services now,” they will know where to turn in the future, Rand said.
“When we first started calling, many seniors had learned that if you don’t recognize the number don’t answer it,” Zaro said. “We have called enough times that they see our number and pick up the phone.”
“We were a sort of unknown entity before,” Rand said.
Zoom
Human Services also helps seniors get connected with others through Zoom calls.
Often “the family has helped them once and they don’t want to ask again,” Zaro said, ”so we give them a little refresher course.”
If the concerns are more “technically involved” the New Canaan Library will help, they added.
They also have programs at St. Luke’s School, where a tech-savvy student who likes working with older people is paired with a senior.
Resources
If a person needs therapy, the Human Services will help them find the right provider.
“If somebody needs a little more than our ‘hellos’ and how are you doing’ check-in phone calls, we have the ability to find a good fit for these people,” Rand said.
“We are not set up to be counseling sessions on a weekly basis,” Zaro explained. “It does not mean we stop speaking with them.”
Human Services has contacts for “all different socioeconomic strata that we can get somebody more help if they request it. We don’t try to make them do anything,” Zaro said.
“We do have resources that we are aware of and nowadays all therapists can do telehealth if someone is comfortable doing Zoom or Facetime,” Rand said.
Groceries
The biggest need seniors request during the pandemic is help with groceries.
More than 300 volunteers under 65 years old have offered to shop for 200 seniors who have requested the help.
“It is unbelievable program,” Zaro said.
“But they all just want to give back to this community. They love this community,” Rand said.
“We all thought this was going to be a month long,” Rand said. “These volunteers who signed up 10 months ago are amazing,” and still help.
“It is heartwarming to see that a lot of friendships has been forged beyond just the volunteer aspect of helping someone,” Zaro said.
Life after COVID
“COVID is going to hopefully end at some point, but there are other things that come up in life as well,” Zaro said. “Human Service is caring people that really want to hear what they are saying. This isn’t just for COVID this is an ongoing service.”
“Human Services very often historically is for people to get help when they are applying for state or federal programs like food stamps, energy assistance and where to go for unemployment, things like that.” Zaro said.
“It doesn’t matter what your financial situation is, you might have a question on needing help with an aging parent. Either here or in another state,” Zaro said. “Call Human Services. We can be a great starting point.”
Written By
Grace Duffield
