Super Storm Sandy was the largest storm to hit the Northeast in decades. As of writing, it’s known to have caused at least 97 deaths, and $20 billion dollars of damage. Seniors have been particularly affected.
Impact of Sandy on Senior Citizens
It’s well known that the elderly are among the most vulnerable populations to extreme weather. After all, many older people have a difficult enough time getting on as it without natural disasters, so naturally they’ve been especially impacted by Sandy. In New York City, many seniors have been trapped in high rises or left without power for days (or both). In Hoboken, New Jersey, the National Guard was called in to rescue seniors stranded in their homes.
Assisted Living Communities Providing Free Shelter
But Americans are a resilient people. During hard times we come together and help one another. The second largest assisted living provider in the nation, Emeritus Senior Living, is temporarily providing free emergency housing and care for seniors for up to three days. Many other assisted living communities are offering similar arrangements to elders who have been displaced by Sandy.
Staff and volunteers from Atria Senior Living’s headquarters in Louisville Kentucky drove supplies up to affected Westchester County communities in the Briarcliff Manor, Ossining, Ardsley and Rye Brook areas. As the region works to recover from the storm, efforts to support seniors and make sure they have access to heat, food, water, shelter, and continuous care.
If Sandy’s got you down, check out this funny, uplifting music video filmed at an assisted living community in the Bronx. It stars the community’s elderly residents and is set to a remix of the 1980’s hit “Forever Young.”
Please also consider donating to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief fund.
