Senior Life - NorthWest Edition - November 2022

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Elder Law and Medicaid Planning

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Cliff Rice

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(219) 462-0809 Advertising Material

www.seniorlifenewspapers.com

Vol. 26, No. 8

November vember 2022

Northwest Edition R Reaching Seniors In Illiana: Cook, Lake & Porter Counties

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+RPH GHOLYHU\ EULQJV OLEUDU\ PDWHULDOV WR VKXW LQV %\ 67(9( (89,12 )HDWXUH :ULWHU Suppose you wanted to use the library but could not leave home. What would you do? The Porter County Public Library System is offering home delivery of items that include books, magazines, DVDs, music CDs, great courses and books on CD. Jesse Butz, director of the fivebranch library system, and Lanette Carey, an assistant who coordinates home delivery and delivers materials, explained the program, started in 2018 with one patron and which has now grown to 21. Home delivery, they said, is available to patrons within the library system who, for whatever reason, cannot make it into a library branch. The service is open to everyone in Porter County except Westchester Township, which has its own library system and delivery service. “Our population

is aging, and it’s aging at home,” Butz said. “Baby boomers are aging, and many are not physically able to come to the library, so we had to do something to provide our services.” Carey explained the process, which starts with a client filling out a questionnaire that outlines the person’s interests and tastes. Once that information is established, Carey said, patrons may select specific items by contacting her office. Once a month, items are delivered in a tote bag to patrons’ door. “I love getting people books they want to read,” Carey said. “It’s enriching their lives, and I’m happy to be part of that.” A Valparaiso resident, Carey started with the library in 2012 as a volunteer, joining the staff two years later. Through the questionnaire, Carey said, she can learn more about the person and what else that person might enjoy. Even if the person is not a library patron, Carey can work with the individual to receive a library card. The survey includes information about fiction, nonfiction, music, and movies and television. The library can even provide a sewing machine, if so desired. “This is a curated collection, based on people’s interests,” Butz said. “We find what they like, then we go in a certain direction.”

Each tote bag includes the person’s address information, along with an inventory of contents. Carey said the bag can hold up to 25-30 materials. Popular items, she said, have included fiction, nonfiction and older works. Trends show a growing interest in contemporary works and best sellers. One patron, Carey said, told her home delivery “revived her joy in reading and she was happy we started the service.” Tote bags are red, and the patron said Carey, as delivery person, was like Santa Claus to her. Butz said additional comments included that the service helped patrons feel “fulfilled” and kept them going. “A lot of these people are 100% isolated, with no friends or family,” the library director said. “They’re alone, and this service provides something they really need.” The Porter County Public Library System has branches in Valparaiso, Portage, South Haven, Kouts and Hebron. The system’s coverage population is 152,580, with 52,319 people having PCPLS cards. For more information on PCPLS home delivery, contact Lanette Carey at lcarey@pcpls.org or call (219) 462-0524, ext. 35121.

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