Central Indiana nonprofit helping homebound seniors register for COVID-19 vaccine
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — A central Indiana nonprofit is answering the call to help homebound seniors get the coronavirus vaccine and their employees are trying to spread the word and help as many people as they can.
Kyra Snyder has a heart for helping people. She’s a phone options counselor at CICOA Aging and In-Home Solutions.
“It breaks my heart when I see people in need and knowing there’s a service that can help them and surpass their expectations. I want to connect the two. I bridge that gap,” said Snyder., a CICOA Phone Options Counselor, explained to News 8.
She helps at least 30 clients a day get set up for COVID vaccines over the phone.
Snyder said many seniors don’t have family that live nearby.
“They don’t have family to check in on them. So, the fact that we’ve called them. Reached out to them, got on the website, helped them register. Told them when and where, made sure they have transportation. That is an honor,” Snyder said.
For the last four weeks, CICOA has helped make sure as many seniors as possible get signed up for a COVID vaccine. They want to spread the word to homebound seniors.
CICOA manages around 11,000 clients in central Indiana.
“Our role in this is making contact, inviting them to register and if they say ‘Yes, I will go ahead and register,’ we will then make that appointment for them if they don’t have the ability to do it on their own,” said CICOA CEO Tauhric Brown.
Many seniors just aren’t able to physically go to a clinic, or they don’t have internet access or transportation.
“I think about how many of them haven’t seen their great-grandchildren in any other fashion other than virtual interaction. My advice to them, would be to please be registered, get the vaccine,” Brown said.
It’s a mission Snyder takes seriously. She feels like the work she’s doing saves lives.
“Knowing that it’s taken care of, they get that peace of mind,” she said.
For more information on CICOA, call their Aging and Disability Resource Center, at (317) 803-6131 or (800) 432-2422. TTY (317) 254-5497.
Indiana State Department of Health on Thursday reported 37 more deaths from COVID-19, for a total of 11,231. A total of 633,690 Hoosiers have tested positive for COVID-19.