Neither Wind nor Rain…..

With so many senior citizens living alone in New York City, a new plan has been implemented to “identify signs of distress among seniors and people with disabilities and quickly connect them with social services through the City’s Department for the Aging.” This, according to Mayor Michael Bloomberg is the beginning of a new service called the Carrier’s Alert Program. The postal carriers of New York City will be the champions of this new endeavor.

How will this be implemented? According to Mayor Bloomberg, “the letter carriers, who in many cases are the first people to recognize signs of distress, will now be empowered to act at the first signs of trouble.” Letter carriers know their route and the people they service more than most. Consequently, if a letter carrier notices that an elderly person’s mail has not been picked up, he will be able to act quickly and effectively to determine if the person is incapacitated and needs medical assistance.

This is a wonderful program, and one which prefaces the importance of keeping an eye on our elderly. During times when blackouts occur in certain boroughs or neighborhoods, everyone is encouraged to check on their neighbors to ensure they are okay. In fact in some areas, the police department checks each and every home to determine if anyone is alone and needs assistance. Blackouts are especially difficult for those who are on oxygen or who have no air conditioning units in their apartments.

With this new Carriers Alert Program, seniors can now rest easy that at least one person will always be on the lookout to determine if they need help. In addition, this will empower the community to do their part to become more aware of seniors’ concerns and do their utmost to ensure they are well and safe.

If you are a senior or have an elderly parent living in New York City, encourage them to sign up by contacting the Department for the Aging to enroll in this program. An application is available online. Once the application is filled out with the name, date of birth, address, telephone number and emergency telephone number, the letter carrier will place the Carrier Alert sticker in the senior’s mailbox.

Today, more and more seniors are living longer. It is up to each and every community in New York City to do all we can to make their lives happy and free from worry. For years they have worked and given their time to make our communities safe and friendly; now it is time to give a little something back on their behalf – a moment of your time. For more information, you can go to: http://www.nyc.gov/html/dfta/html/senior/carrier_alert.shtml.