WASHINGTON, Conn. (WCBS 880) — While seniors across the Tri-State area have been struggling to get COVID-19 vaccination appointments, one Connecticut town has made it incredibly easy for their senior population.
First Selectman Jim Brinton, of Washington, Connecticut, tells WCBS 880 that rather than make their senior citizens hunt down appointments themselves, the town in reaching out instead.
For the last several days, volunteers in the town have been calling up elderly residents and helping them make appointments.
“The demographics of Washington is primarily older folks, or a large percentage, so 75 and older, we have – in a town of 3,500 – over 400 in that category. So, our goal was to reach out to as many as possible and it immediately became clear that one of the other beauties in Washington is the volunteerism,” Brinton said.
He notes that a team of four women have been working to get all 400+ residents over the age of 75 signed up.
“The goal is not just to touch base or not just to give out information but, they do over the phone appointments so, when they hang up the phone, that senior citizen has an appointment for their COVID vaccine,” Brinton notes.
He says “across the board” residents in the town have been very appreciative of the outreach program.
“Even if they already had an appointment or they've got a vaccine – an initial vaccine – they're just very appreciative they are being communicated with, they’re being thought of,” Brinton said.
He notes that they’ve even tried to go above and beyond just making vaccine appointments and hired a bus company to charter at least one woman, who was not comfortable driving, to a neighboring town to get her shot.
Brinton said that the team of four women have already contacted all 400+ senior residents and are now working to contact over 600 residents that are aged 65 and older.
However, he notes that their team is growing as word of the outreach to seniors has spread, with two more residents now joining the program.
Brinton says he hopes to see more communities take up similar efforts and says it can be done in larger communities as well.
“I would say the logistics would be more difficult in a larger city but certainly comparable towns and even larger towns, up to 10,000 people, I still believe you can have that kind of community outreach and people here in Washington they just…they dive into that opportunity,” he said.
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