Senior citizens seek refuge in special needs shelters

Seminole County Sheriff's Office, Northland Church team up to provide care

SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. – The Seminole County Sheriff's Office teamed up with Northland Church to take care of the most vulnerable: Seniors and those with special needs.

Ken Cooper doesn't necessarily like being in a shelter but knows he has to be. He requires oxygen when he sleeps and that requires electricity.

"I wanted to make sure that where I go they would have generators. I needed a special needs shelter," he said.

So did many others in Seminole County, the majority of them older than 65. Going to a shelter can be more stressful for these groups, according to Cooper. 

"They have to make sure everything (equipment) is plugged in," Cooper said. "They're worrying about 'Am I going to get enough food, will the air conditioning be working, did I bring all my medications?'" 

Sgt. Shannon Seiple with the Seminole County Sheriff's Office said deputies know people don't like leaving their homes.

"They don’t like to come to a shelter," Seiple said. "So we do our best, and Northland has done a great job making them feel safe here and we're making them feel safe back at their house."

The deputies bring a whole new meaning to the words "serve and protect." 

Every day, they go to the home of each person in the shelter. They then report back to the shelter whether the person's electricity is on. If it is, they leave the shelter and the county even provides transportation.

"If they don't have food, we also help them getting food back in their homes," Seiple said.

With the deaths of many elderly people in South Florida and Texas after the storms, the church and the sheriff's office's efforts are even more remarkable, according to Cooper.

"It's amazing what people will do to help out each other when they’re in a difficult circumstance," he said.


About the Author:

Emmy Award-winning reporter Louis Bolden joined the News 6 team in September of 2001 and hasn't gotten a moment's rest since. Louis has been a General Assignment Reporter for News 6 and Weekend Morning Anchor. He joined the Special Projects/Investigative Unit in 2014.

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