THIS GROUP CAN HELP
No need for seniors to be lonely

IF YOU'RE a senior who either wants to get out
of the house a little more or if you’re the type that
likes to socialize and help out fellow seniors, a
North Shore study group wants to hear from you.

The group, spearheaded
by Margaret Kelly, Peggy
Greig and North Shore
United Way Social Planner
Joyce Rigaux, has taken it
upon itself to distribute
1,500 questionnaires to
North Shore seniors asking
them what they think of the
services offered to seniors
locally.

The questionnaire ask
seniors to reveal which ser-

vices they are aware of that.

currently operate on the
North Shore and which ones
they feel should be expand-
ed.

The services mentioned on
the questionnaire include fi-
nancial and income tax
assistance, adult daycare,
homemaker service, legal in-
formation counselling, long
term care, low rental hous-
ing, senior citizen centres
and personal counselling
services.

The questionnaire atso
asks seniors to list other ser-
vices they feel could benefit
seniors, if they are in need of
help or companionship in
connection with shopping or
in attending functions, and
if they would like to become
involved in helping out

| By JOANNE MacDONALD |

several retirement age people
tend to follow their children
out to where they’re living,
but their friends are left
behind. At that age, it's one
of the worst times to make a
imove.”*

Says Rigaux: ‘‘We’re an
aging community, especially
in West Vancouver. Several
people are lonely. The older
we gei, the harder it is to
make friends to adjust to
new surrcundings or situa-
tions. With this question-
naire, we hope to establish

“an outreach service that

would hopefully get to some
of these peopte.**

Greig says if funding is
obtained through the federal
government's New Horizons
program, the group might be
able to hire a coordinator
for the project.

The average grant received
under the New Horizons
program is estimated at
$10,000.

Kelly adds in the event an
Outreach program is
established, it would be run

Page 45 - Wednesday, March 31, 1985
A ‘friend’
in
need
PAGE 46

mainly by seniors
seniors.

“Volunteers, namely
seniors, would do for
themselves. At this point,
we're still in the study stage
and looking for people to
become involved. With the
questionnaire we're trying to
see if it’s needed and who's
interested,”’ said Kelly.

Among the suggested ac-
tivities to be conducted
through the proposed
outreach program is the
establishment of a regular
telephone check system to
seniors fiving on their own
and a companion or buddy
system to help housebound
seniors get out on shopping
trips or to other functions.

“Hopefully, the question-
naire will help us find out
where the gaps are in the
services currently offered.
And we not only hope to
reach seniors but the families
and friends of seniors, as
well. We want to make
everyone aware of what's
out there,"’ says Rigaux.

Greig says the deadline for
the return of questionnaires
has been tentatively set for
April 15. They can be drop-
ped off at seniors’ centres or
at the North Shore Informa-
tion and Volunteer Centre.
For information call 985-
7138. .

seniors in need of assistance
in certain areas.

According to kelly, Greig
and Rigaux, the main intent
of the questionnaire is to
help seniors break the
loneliness habit.

“There are several services
for seniors available. But
there are many timid seniors
who are able to get around
but aren’t getting out. And

PERFECT HARMONY _

Lonely senior citizens are the target of a group recently set up to provide an outreach pro-
gram for seniors in need of companionship, shopping or travelling assistance or just plain

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socializing. Group members say they intend to focus their efforts on seniors who find these seem to be mostly
widows,’' says Kelly. ‘‘Plus

‘ themselves isolated from community affairs,

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