167. Ask Lori: Emelita's Closet: an update on how you can support our senior community

Aging in Style with Lori Williams

What items are needed for a senior supply closet?

I'm giving you an update on Emelita's Closet, which we launched back in January. Emelita's Closet is a donation closet where people donate gently used equipment for seniors, like walkers, wheelchairs, and shower chairs.

We've been overwhelmed by the generosity of the community, and we're grateful for all the donations. However, in the past 9 months, we learned there are certain items with a high demand and others with lower demand. For example, we always need walkers, wheelchairs, and shower chairs. We also need canes with a four-prong base. We don't need anything used in an intimate way, such as hospital beds, used nebulizers, or any medical equipment.

We're also working on finding a new location for the closet because its current location at an assisted living community is running out of space. We'll be sure to announce the new location on social media as soon as we find our new home.

In the meantime, you can follow the Emelita's Closet Facebook page to get the latest updates on donations and needs. You can also volunteer to help pick up donations.

If you're thinking of starting your own donation closet in your community, I encourage you to do it. There's a huge need for these resources, and it's a great way to give back to your community.

Topics discussed:

- Donation closets

- Giving back

- Popular senior equipment

- Community resources for seniors

- Recycling used equipment

Takeaways from this episode:

- Emelita's Closet is a valuable resource for seniors in the community providing medical equipment that can help seniors maintain their independence and quality of life.

- The closet and the senior community in general often need walkers, wheelchairs, and shower chairs.

- Depends aren’t in high demand, and people tend to prefer the ones pulled on and off like a pair of underwear.

- Emelita’s Closet needs a new location, so please let us know if you have a large, usable space available.

- The closet appreciates any donations and volunteers willing to pick up and transport donations.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Get my new book, 'Surrounded by Love: One's Family Journey Through Stroke Recovery': https://loriwilliams-seniorservices.com/book

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Emelita's Closet episode: https://www.loriwilliams-seniorservices.com/aging-in-style-podcast/episode/27f021c8/128-emelitas-closet-more-than-a-community-closet-for-senior-items

Emelita's facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100090763355708