Mamaroneck Police Get Lesson in Elderly Care

With the over-90 age range being the fastest growing population group in America, it's getting more and more important to learn to interact with seniors and take notice of their special needs. This is especially true for police officers, who may need to deal with seniors over traffic violations, talk with them as witnesses or just listen to them if they are in trouble.

On March 3, members of the Mamaroneck Police Department gathered at the Mamaroneck EMS Building to take part in a special program designed to teach them about dealing with seniors, thanks to a partnership with People's United Bank, which just opened an office in Mamaroneck last year.

"We have a program called the 'Masters Program' at the bank that is designed to help protect seniors from financial and physical harm, and all our tellers are trained to spot the tell-tale signs of financial fraud against the elderly," says Brent Digiorgio, a spokesperson for People's United Bank. "It has been implemented throughout Connecticut and we wanted to create a partnership with the Mamaroneck Police Department so we could offer the program throughout Westchester."

People's United Bank's Community Relation Specialist Angela DeLeon runs the program for the bank and is the only civilian certified in the state of Connecticut to teach police officers on senior sensitivity issues. 

When teaching the class to a dozen members of the Mamaroneck police force yesterday, DeLeon emphasized the importance of understanding the needs of the elderly and treating them a little different.

"One important thing is that when you are speaking to an older person, you need to keep your face visible," she says. "They may be embarrassed over a hearing problem, and they will be able to read your lips and expressions better this way."

By using props and accessories, DeLeon taught the police members how an older person has trouble hearing, seeing, walking and staying focused.

"I think this is great for the department and great for the community," says Officer Douglas Baron. "It's definitely helping our officers become more sensitive towards seniors and how they experience things."

Officer Anthony Colletti volunteered to experience the effects muscular degeneration has on eyesight by wearing special glasses that hindered his perception of the colors blue and green.

DeLeon had Officer Paul Massi put plugs in his ears so he could experience what someone with a hearing impediment would face; she had Officer Gary Galvao wear special gloves to experience the dexterity impairments of seniors with severe arthritis; and she had Sgt. Thomas Anderson put some beans in his sneakers to experience the mobility impairments faced by seniors with foot problems.

"This lets you walk a mile in their shoes," DeLeon says. "As people age, they have mobility problems, dexterity problems and often get nervous." 

She also provided a series of tips for interacting with seniors, including slowing everything down, showing empathy, explaining any notes you are writing and being responsive to a handshake.

This is just the beginning of the help that is coming. A "Yellow Dot" program will soon be in effect, where a yellow dot goes on a senior's car, alerting an officer to a paper in their glove box that contains important personal and medical information about the driver. A similar paper, called a "File of Life" will be at a senior's home.

"On March 24 we are holding a summit on senior safety for all emergency responders," says Sgt. Regan Kelly. "I think this is all fascinating and it's important that we all learn about this—fire, EMS—and it's going to be very helpful."