Evelyn Taylor, in her sixties, has the same name as her mother. This was sometimes confusing for the staff at Dr. David Shriemer’s office in Vicksburg; the younger Evelyn was her mother’s caretaker until her mother’s death. Schriemer has worked with the family for many years.
Now, after years of living in a close-knit family within a close-knit and caring community, Evelyn is living pretty much alone. She stays busy with hobbies and keeping a tidy, organized home. She is very involved in her church and is a kind and caring person to those who know her.
But her world is smaller now and Dr. Schriemer, her primary care giver, called South County Community Services (SCCS) to ask about services the agency could provide to keep her safe and connected to her community. Within a few days, Senior Outreach Coordinator Diane Durian called Evelyn and set up a home visit. Evelyn was invited to go along to the Senior Expo and to the holiday party for seniors. Diane is now on Evelyn’s contact list when she has questions or needs assistance.
Immediately following their first visit, Diane arranged to have an SCCS volunteer come to her home and fix her mailbox so that if emergency help or transportation services were needed, the helpers could easily find Evelyn’s home on the ever-busy Sprinkle Road. Evelyn is pictured with her doctor, David Schriemer, Durian and volunteer Larry Forsyth, who set things right and attached high-visibility house numbers. These are the types of services that help South County seniors stay in their homes safely. The Say Yes to Seniors millage proposal on the August 7 ballot is intended to assure that more seniors in Kalamazoo County can be served this way.