SeniorCare: Critical Link For Manchester And Essex

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Thanks to some extra precautions being taken by staff at SeniorCare, crucial services such as Meals on Wheels will continue to be delivered to Manchester and other Cape Ann residents.

Seniors are considered one of the key populations considered to be most vulnerable to the Coronavirus pandemic. Preventative methods such as social distancing are crucial to individuals who fall in this demographic, something the management and staff of SeniorCare took into consideration when considering how to provide services to a group that needs them more than ever, while also avoiding putting that group at risk.

“Our intention is to keep services going in all program areas moving forward to continue our mission to help elders and adults with disabilities to remain home, in their communities and out of facilities such as nursing homes,” explains SeniorCare CEO Scott Trenti.

SeniorCare provides meal deliveries for 24 individuals in the Manchester area, and 303 on Cape Ann overall, while also providing home care for 42 seniors in town (605 total in the Cape Ann area).

SeniorCare employees will continue delivering food to Manchester, Essex and the rest of Cape Ann as part of the Meals on Wheels program, delivering meals as they have in the past while retaining social distancing guidelines. Drivers are hanging food bags on doorknobs or doorstops, knocking or ringing doorbells, then stepping away and listening for verbal contact or visual confirmation - such as a recipient waving out the window - as a means of completing a safety check and confirming the delivery. Multiple meals are also being delivered at one time as another means of reducing exposure and risk; for example, meals for March 26 and 27 were delivered at the same time last Thursday.

Communication over the phone has been crucial for these and other services at this time. SeniorCare staff are doing wellness checks more often over the phone, checking in on seniors’ needs and their health status.

“Most all of our services are being conducted telephonically, although emergency Protective Services reports, some Money Management Program service staff may need in person contact,” explains Trenti.

Clients who require in-home care such as personal care or registered nursing assistance have been contacted over the last few weeks by their care workers and staff to come up with a plan that keeps the safety of everyone in mind.

“We are committed to assisting our caregivers as well,” says Trenti. “Our contracted provider network of homemakers, personal care workers, home health aides and other in-home services continue to provide services and in addition to our nutrition drivers, volunteers and staff, we applaud their commitment and efforts.”

Similar precautions have been taken at the SeniorCare offices as well. The Cummings Center office in Beverly is closed until further notice, and the Gloucester office is operating with only a handful of staff onsite. Most staff are currently working from home at this point.

“Our services continue, but primarily through telephonic contact,” says Trenti. “We continue to accept new home care intakes and meals on wheels requests, and other service/program areas as well.”

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