With residents staying at home during the pandemic crisis, donations of adult incontinent supplies have plummeted. Family Health Care Amigos has applied for and received a COVID-19 grant from the United Way of Santa Cruz County, who has sent us $300 in packages of adult pull-ups and bladder control pads.
An average client spends between $100 and $300 a month on incontinent supplies, an amount a continent person never considers. With most of our clients meeting the federal poverty guidelines of a monthly income under $990, for many seniors and disabled residents the cost of these supplies is out of reach.
With this in mind, and looking for a creative way to encourage residents in Elgin, Sonoita and Patagonia to donate adult pull-ups and bladder control pads of all sizes, we have partnered with Mr. Shed in Huachuca City, who is building a donation drop-off box, which will be placed around the corner from our new building next to Long Realty in Patagonia.
The Legacy Foundation has approved a COVID19 grant application to pay for the drop box, giving us a permanent solution for on-going donations from the community as we all work to help each other.
During your trip to the store, think about a neighbor who might be homebound and perhaps in need of incontinent supplies. Buying products and putting them in the drop box leaves your neighbor with their dignity and provides a way for you to donate anonymously. The donation box should be in place by May 1 and available for you to conveniently drop off these much-needed supplies.
Most of our clients are ambulatory and therefore need pull-ups rather than tabbed diapers, finding the tabbed product difficult to use without help. We accept a small number of tabbed diapers for use by our disabled clients who have caregivers to help them put them on. If you have adult diapers left over from a surgery or family member who has passed, please feel free to drop them in the box.
Neighbors helping neighbors. It’s what the Lending Shed is all about.