THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, October 27, 1996 TAG: 9610250293
SECTION: CHESAPEAKE CLIPPER PAGE: 08 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY ERIC FEBER, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: 62 lines
Chesapeake city officials want to know more about the city's elderly population and its needs.
Since Sept. 1, the Chesapeake Committee on Aging, a task force appointed by the Chesapeake City Council, sent out 500 survey forms in order to obtain information about Chesapeake's older population.
``The survey is out there to merely gather information, we need to get numbers on Chesapeake's elderly population,'' said Carolyn W. Savinsky, chairman of the Chesapeake Committee on Aging. ``Specifically we want to get a picture of the city's older adults who need some type of assistance and aren't getting it.''
Each member of the committee serves for a three-year term. The committee's membership is made up of vice chair John W. Jackson and members Helen C. Davenport, Ann Haddock, Lori Hasty, Vertley Jones, Cathy Spriggs and Robert J. Williams.
While performing her duties as public health nurse with the Chesapeake Health Department, Savinsky said, she notices many elderly citizens receive medical help from specialists, special nurses and therapists.
But when it comes to providing nonskilled help or services for the elderly, Savinsky said the opportunities and resources in the city were somewhat lacking. She said nonskilled services are those that allow elderly citizens to remain independent, including helping seniors dress or bathe, providing companionship, help with banking or insurance forms or providing transportation for errands or doctors' appointments.
She said the survey is being conducted to find out what services are needed and what the city's elderly are receiving. Savinsky said many of the city's elderly can remain independent and live in their own homes if they received a little non-skilled assistance each day from volunteers, friends or family members. This way many elderly can retain their independence and save money by avoiding residence in a nursing home.
``If we can get some accurate numbers, we'll tally them and then present them to the council,'' she said. ``We're hoping to find out what needs are un-met. Maybe we'll find out our seniors don't need these extra services, but I really doubt that.''
Savinsky said she hopes the survey will identify the needs of the city's elderly population and make the public more aware of them.
``We want citizens to be our brother's keeper,'' she said. ``We're hoping this will help raise the consciousness of the population. That it gives people pause to consider their elderly neighbors.'' ILLUSTRATION: Graphic
AT A GLANCE
What: Survey of older adults.
Who: Sponsored by the Chesapeake Committee On Aging.
Where: Survey forms can be obtained at all Chesapeake community
centers, the Chesapeake Central Library, the Chesapeake Health
Department and the Chesapeake Senior Citizen Centers on Outlaw
Street and Portlock Avenue.
When: Surveys are due in to the Chesapeake Health Department on
Nov. 15. They can also be dropped off at the Chesapeake Central
Library.
Call: For more information, contact Carolyn Savinsky at 382-8644
or John Jacosn at 488-8795. by CNB