Concerned about a senior? Turn to Niagara Gatekeepers
Residents urged to call 905-684-0968 if concerned about seniors
A program that has been assisting seniors living in Niagara’s communities for the past two decades is becoming increasingly important as the COVID-19 pandemic takes hold in the region.
Niagara Region seniors community programs manager Carol Rudel said Niagara Gatekeepers — a phone line that connects seniors with resources they need to help them stay in their homes “as safely as possible” — provides a way for residents to ensure their neighbours are safe “in these very uncertain times.”
Niagara Gatekeepers can be reached at 905-684-0968.
“I would encourage people to do what they can to support their neighbours, but if you don’t have a relationship with someone but you’re worried about them, they can call Gatekeepers and we will try to connect with that resident,” said Niagara community services commissioners Adrienne Jugley.
Rudel said some seniors may be feeling isolated because they no longer have any social network coming to their home, and “during these unprecedented times, we may see an emergence of people who under normal conditions were managing very well, but as this goes on new needs may surface because of some of the restrictions around trying to keep them safe and not out in the community.”
For instance, Rudel said, “there may be seniors who under normal circumstances would have sufficient family and friend support, but perhaps at this moment they don’t for a variety of reasons.”
She said some seniors may be struggling to get essential supplies, as public health officials recommend people 70 years and older avoid leaving their homes to help protect them from exposure to the virus.
Jugley said the program is now primarily focused on three areas to assist seniors — those at risk because of being socially isolated, not having enough food or not being able to get access to medications they may need.
“I think we want to try to provide that information the community if they see seniors they may be concerned about, but are unable to help directly,” she said.
Phone lines for the program, administered by the Hamilton Niagara Haldimand Brant Local Health Integration Network (LHIN), are answered daily 8:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Rudel said program staff will determine what essential needs are for people it assists, and contact an appropriate community support agency. That agency will then contact the senior and provide services needed, if the individual consents to receiving that service.
“The Niagara Gatekeepers is so simple, because it’s just one (phone) number to call. The beauty of that line is that if there are personal support needs that are more related to health, the LHIN can then be connected to them to that,” she said.
“It may be that we find an individual with a sense of loneliness or isolation because of what we’re dealing with right now, maybe they just need a welfare check and there are several community support agencies that are prepared to do that.”
Any information provided to Niagara Gatekeepers is kept confidential.
Callers can remain anonymous.
The Region’s website lists signs that may indicate someone may be in need of assistance, including difficulty communicating or confusion, becoming withdrawn or hostile, changes to personal appearance, deteriorating home condition, deteriorating health, difficulty seeing, speaking or hearing, poor mobility, and decreased ability to handle money or pay bills.