Good News - May 2020

24 MAY 2020 www.goodnewsfl.org Good News • South Florida Edition COVER STORY It should be no surprise that South Florida has been a hot spot for the Coronavirus since Florida has the highest concentration of older residents in the United States with adults over 65 making up almost 23 percent of Broward resi- dents. Most of us have been sheltering in place to flatten the curve and in large part to protect our senior citizens. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, eight out of 10 COVID-19 deaths reported in the U.S. have been in adults 65 years old and older. The most vulnerable may reside in nursing homes, as- sisted living facilities and other types of senior living facilities where access has been restricted and activities limited. However, Heart2Heart Out- reach of South Florida is on a mission to provide HOPE, share LOVE and restore PURPOSE to this aging population. While visitors are forbidden at care centers, Heart2Heart Outreach has partnered with local churches to meet the needs of seniors in creative ways. “This is our time to really educate the Church on why this group of people is so impor- tant, why they are so vulnerable and why we specifically need to step into this moment. My hope is that after this is over, the spotlight that has exposed the vulnerability of the aging population stays in the light and doesn’t go back into the shadows,” said Juan Gallo, executive director of Heart2Heart Outreach. According to The Silver Tsunami report published by the Community Foundation of Broward and its partners in June 2018, adults 65 and older will outnumber children for the first time in U.S. history by the year 2030, and Broward has the fastest growing aging population in the state with those 80-84 expected to increase by more than 73 percent in the next 12 years. The major issues in aging are isolation and transportation. Isolation is the silent killer when it comes to the aging population,” said Gallo. “If they’re institutionalized in a nursing home, 60 percent will never get a visitor.” Loneliness and isolation is experienced by many of Broward’s older residents, especially those who have lost loves ones, lost mobility or don’t have local family for help. The Silver Tsunami report cited these factors as causes of increased depression and anxiety, reduced community engage- ment, reduced nutrition and medication management and increased med- ical problems, leading to elders feeling trapped with no purpose and nowhere to turn. Heart2Heart Outreach works to provide hope, share love and restore purpose to the elderly in our communities by mobilizing trained volunteers to build meaningful, sustainable and life-changing relationships with the elderly in care centers throughout South Florida. Founder and Board Director Sean Stepelton launched Heart2Heart in 2010, supported by strong community partnerships and collaborative ef- forts, to provide a holistic model of care that addresses the social emo- tional, cognitive mental, psychological spiritual and physical wellbeing of aging adults in South Florida. Since its inception, ministry volunteers have visited well over 2025 care center residents. “In March 2020 alone, 205 volunteers provided 299 hours of service and saw 241 beautiful people,” said Gallo. “In a perfect world, our program model is that we partner with a church who adopts a care center. The church gives us access to a group of volunteers with one volunteer leader at the church directing five or six people at a specific nursing home.” Heart2Heart provides volunteer training and background checks to facilitate on- boarding at the care centers. The ministry has developed relationships with 89 care centers in the area, and Gallo said, “There’s a trust rela- tionship that’s developed between us and the care center, so we can move freely and spend time directly with people.” Once they identify who’s in need of some- one to talk with, “we’ll ask them things like what it was like to live in the 50s or what their favorite music is or if they have grandkids and what they like to do most. We respect people’s faith, but we find a lot of people are open to talking about Jesus and praying,” said Gallo. While some may be affected byAlzheimer’s or dementia, Gallo said he’s certain that “even though they may not register that conversation, the feeling and emotion of someone caring for their soul – that matters. And God’s word will never fall short, so I know the Holy Spirit will carry that.” For those uncomfortable walking into nursing homes, there are many ways to get involved. One volunteer, Michelle Klipfel, wanted to provide residents with blankets to keep them cozy in the often chilly facilities where temperatures are kept low to avoid bacteria growth. So she started a min- istry called “Cozy Blankets” and gathered a group of volunteers to sew 52 fleece blankets that could be lovingly delivered to those in senior care cen- ters. Since the governor’s Coronavirus emergency order on March 14 pro- hibited all visitation to nursing homes and assisted living facilities, Heart2Heart has had to adjust its model to combat isolation in more cre- ative ways. Tablets In partnership with Calvary Chapel Fort Lauderdale, Church United and the National Christian Foundation, Heart2Heart purchased and deliv- ered over 200 Amazon Fire tablets to care centers in South Florida. The tablets allow seniors to communicate with loved ones and volunteers out- side the facilities in hopes of maintaining those connections. Phone Calls and Skype In cooperation with Cigna Healthcare Group, Heart2Heart volunteers are making calls via phone and skype as a way to reach out to the elderly. A brief phone call can make all the difference in the life of someone who is feeling alone, and this is something everyone can do. Heart2Heart Outreach Restores Hope To Seniors In Isolation Shelly Pond Good News Editor Juan Gallo, Omar Aleman, Rosalind and Riana Samaroo