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04/15/2020 08:30 AMWhile she was a senior at the University of Rhode Island, Heather Noblin was compelled by concern and love for her grandmother, Ruth Hause, to travel to Philadelphia and care for her when Ruth had taken a fall.
She stayed with Ruth for four months, caring for her until she recovered.
Little did Heather know that the responsibility she took on in caring for her grandmother may have been a foreshadowing of the path she would take after graduation.
She returned to Connecticut and decided to finish her B.S. in psychology at the Charter Oak State College. After a stint with the Building Department for the Town of Madison, she moved to the Madison Senior Center as an administrative assistant.
Today, Heather is the assistant director for the Madison Senior Services, a position that allows her to look out for the well-being of the seniors in town with the same compassion and dedication that she had shown Ruth.
“I worked as the administrative assistant for several years before becoming the municipal agent for the elderly and then eventually the assistant director…I sort of fell into the position,” she says.
She works out of her office at the Madison Senior Center, 29 Bradley Road.
The senior center, she says, is “a location for seniors to meet and socialize on a regular basis, a location that offers support and resources.”
A self-described advocate for seniors, she admits, “I love my job. I love working with seniors. I really enjoy all the staff members as well as all the clients.”
Her dedication to her job is apparent, even with the recent challenges brought about by the COVID-19 outbreak.
In Spite of the Outbreak
Most staff members work from home nowadays, which to Heather means working from Branford where she lives with Jay, her husband of three years. Volunteers who worked for the Senior Center but are susceptible to the virus are encouraged to stay home, too, thus leaving most of the work to the staff.
And yet, the everyday needs of seniors continue even as they too are urged to stay home where they are safest; in spite of the outbreak, the Senior Services Department strives to meet their needs.
“We are continuing to deliver meals on wheels utilizing staff members instead of our volunteers to deliver,” Heather says.
She adds that many volunteers “are seniors themselves [and] we want to encourage as many people as possible to stay home.”
Senior Services embarked on a new program, Errands on Wheels, to ensure that essential tasks such as shopping for groceries and filling prescriptions are done for the elderly.
“Anyone who is a senior, disabled, or at an increased risk can contact us [and] we will match them up with a volunteer in the community to run errands, go to the pharmacy, or go grocery shopping for them,” she explains.
After she reached out to the community, Heather would learn that Madison volunteers are eager to help the seniors with their needs even in the midst of the outbreak.
“I was contacted by over 80 individuals from the area who wanted to volunteer. I have gotten 45 of them screened and approved so far. We have matched seven seniors with a volunteer and we continue to receive more calls from folks inquiring about the program,” she says.
Still, another initiative born from COVID-19 social distancing policy is the Senior Pen Pal program through which seniors are matched up with area school children to learn about each other’s lives, talk about favorite hobbies, and tell each other stories. It’s a program that aims to bring a bit of human connectivity and cheer when distance has become a necessary preventive measure in the fight against the pandemic.
“We partnered with Madison Youth & Family Services and decided an email pen pal program would be the best way to connect with seniors and help fight social isolation,” Heather explains.
It’s a win-win situation for the children and the seniors.
“This is a great way for the students to give back [and] practice reading and writing, and it is a great way for the seniors to volunteer to help the students. Eventually we hope to bring the students and seniors together to meet. Currently we have seven seniors matched with seven area children,” she adds.
A Larger Mission
Pre-COVID-19 days, Senior Services has always aimed to help the elderly population in Madison.
“There are 4,277 folks age 65 [and older] in the town of Madison [and] we are here to serve them all. We have 1,466 active members at the Madison Senior Center,” Heather says.
The department kept seniors occupied and active with exercise programs, lecture series, bridge classes, Bocce, card games, bingo, mah-jongg, billiards, movies, and caregiver support groups. These activities are temporarily suspended, but Senior Services hopes to bring them back as soon as the outbreak subsides.
In addition, the department seeks to help the seniors by connecting them to federal and state services including programs for energy assistance, rent rebate, tax relief, Medicaid, and food stamps/SNAP benefits.
Heather is also an information and referral source. She is a CHOICES-trained Medicare counselor who can assist seniors with their Medicare benefits or help a resident turning 65 with the process of signing up.
Residents age 65 or older can contact Madison Senior Services at 203-245-5627 or madisonwillriseforseniors@madisonct.org to obtain information on locally available resources. Residents who are younger than 65 years old and need assistance for themselves or their families can contact Madison Youth & Family Services at 203-245-5645 or madisonwillrise@madisonct.org.
“We are here to help guide [seniors] to the appropriate community resources,” Heather says.
She adds that the Madison Senior Center has a drive-up collection site for nonperishable food donations as well as medical supplies such as masks, gloves, and disposable jumpsuits (worn by painters, sheet rockers, and mechanics).
Anyone seeking to volunteer can also contact the Madison Senior Services.
While her job has helped seniors live active, healthy, and fulfilled lives, it has likewise given Heather a sense of fulfillment and kept her busy and connected to the town where she grew up.
“I love living in Branford, [but] I’m from Madison,” she says.
The COVID outbreak, she adds, has made her see “how amazing this Madison community truly is. Watching the outpouring of support come in is overwhelming.”
“I am so proud to be able to say that I am from Madison.”
To nominate a Person of the Week, email m.caulfield@shorepublishing.com.