Good Samaritans bring cool comfort to seniors
Betty Esperanza took the first phone call at 8:30 a.m. Sunday morning. Over the next 12 hours, she processed 43 requests for air conditioners from vulnerable seniors who were sweltering during the second heat wave to hit Montreal in more than a month.
“The man was 85 and he was having a hard time breathing,” Esperanza said. “He said the window only opened a little bit and there was no air circulating. He said he could die there.”
After hearing about his health problems, Esperanza promised the man that an air conditioner would be delivered to his CHSLD (long-term-care home unit) within 48 hours.
She was able to keep her promise thanks to a group of Good Samaritans who have organized the purchase and installation of 189 air conditioners in CHSLDS and low-income and private apartments across Greater Montreal.
Since the grassroots campaign began in late May, Esperanza had fielded countless calls from elderly and sick seniors desperate to get some relief from the heat.
“One woman has leukemia, one has COPD and another is in a wheelchair,” said Esperanza, the project manager. “Many are suffering and said no one cares about them. Some of the stories are heartbreaking.”
Others are people like Evelyn, a 92-year-old shut-in from Côte-stluc who said the air conditioner has given her a reprieve from the heat.
“The humidity and the heat is very overwhelming — you have a feeling of lassitude,” Evelyn said on Monday. “I felt rejuvenated. I am sitting here reading a 600-page book and it’s cool and comfortable. It’s a godsend.”
Montreal businessman Ben Graur came up with the idea of providing air conditioners to seniors during the first heat wave at the end of May.
He feared a repeat of the summer of 2018, when an intense heat wave led to the death of at least 90 vulnerable seniors across the province.
Graur teamed up with Leah Lasry, a financial adviser, and the two eventually raised about $54,000 to buy the units. Graur and Lasry each pledged $10,000 and Lasry spent an additional $5,000 to provide units for 29 single mothers.
Applicants fill out a one-page questionnaire at acforseniors.ca and Esperanza contacts them to make sure they’re eligible.
Priority is given to seniors who live in the Greater Montreal region and who have a pre-existing condition that’s affected by excess heat.
“They’re so grateful — they call back and you can hear the change in their voice,” Esperanza said.
About 60 per cent of the air conditioners have been given to people residing in CHSLDS and low-income apartments. The other 40 per cent have been given to seniors who live in private apartments.
When Graur launched his initiative, fewer than one-third of rooms in Quebec’s CHSLDS had air conditioning.
As part of his campaign, he emailed Seniors Minister Marguerite Blais saying seniors would not be able to be moved to cooler common areas during the pandemic.
The Quebec government announced last month that it would ensure that there is air conditioning in common areas in all CHSLDS.
“There was a lot of publicity and I think we raised awareness about the problem,” Graur said.
The group has spent about $30,000 of the $54,000 raised and said they are seeking donations at acforseniors.ca to continue the service throughout the summer.
Most of the air conditioners have been delivered free of charge by QA Courier. Owner Peter Hansen said it’s a worthy cause.
James Macleod, 72, said he has been sleeping more comfortably since he received his air conditioner about two weeks ago.
“I have it at the foot of my bed,” he said. “I’m sitting beside it right now. I will never forget these people. I am so grateful.”
The campaign has been a lot of work, but Lasry said it has been worth it.
“We helped all these people,” she said. “I can’t think of anything more gratifying. “