Seniors care topic of discussion in community

Catherine Reynolds | Nov 01, 2017

Who cares for the caregiver? That question and more will be answered this November in a presentation by a committee designed to improve the quality of life for seniors in Frontenac County. “Seniors and Law Enforcement Together (SALT) is a community initiative the OPP brought forward,” explains Roop Sandhu, Community Safety Officer for Frontenac OPP. “The committee meets every month. Every second month, we hold a seniors safety event.”

According to Const. Sandhu, SALT picks the topic & speaker and provides a free lunch and short presentation on senior’s safety. The presentations range in topics and are held in different locations across the region. They are purposefully kept to a manageable 20-30 minutes. “We float around,” confirms the Community Safety Officer. “A lot of people like to stay in their area.”

Reflecting on the program’s success, Const. Sandhu notes, “It has gone very well. We now have a base and we’re trying to expand it.” The topic this November is Care & Compassion and Caregiver Burnout with a focus on understanding the needs of taking care of seniors and coping techniques to avoid caregiver burnout. The first will be held at the Verona Lions Centre on Nov. 3. The second is at Battersea United Church on Nov. 24.

Funded by a New Horizons Grant, the presentations are organized by a committee composed of the OPP, Southern Frontenac Community Services Corporation (SFCSC), KFL&A Public Health Unit, Rural Kingston Nurses, Sydenham Women’s Institute, Verona Lions Club, Verona Community Association, South Frontenac Township and a handful of volunteers.

Residents interested in attending this event are asked to pre-register by calling the SFCSC office at 613-376-6477 by Nov. 1 (for the Verona Lion’s Centre) and Nov. 22 (for Battersea United Church). For residents who require a ride, transportation can be arranged through Frontenac Transportaion Services. These lunch & learn events begin at 11:30 am and end at 1:30 pm.

The next session features Falls Prevention & Seniors Exercise Opportunities at Grace Hall in Sydenham on Jan. 12 and Glendower on Jan 26.