Postal workers bring more than mail to senior citizens

They wear blue uniforms that sport eagle logos and lug large bags brimming with envelopes. Six days a week, in rain, sleet and dark of night – well, you know the rest – these dedicated postal workers, known as letter carriers, can be seen walking through neighborhoods delivering mail.

Most of us probably take the service for granted. We smile at the sight of a greeting card and grimace at the appearance of a bill, but usually give little thought to how these items came to be in our mailboxes.

It is a different story for many senior citizens. The letter carrier is a link to the outside world, perhaps bringing news from a distant family member, or a favorite magazine.

“Even the ads are interesting to a person who can’t wander the mall,” said Gail Ward, director of nutrition at Eastern Agency on Aging. “At many senior housings, the residents will typically congregate in the community room and wait for the mail to arrive. It’s a pre-mail delivery gathering.”

For seniors living rurally, the letter carrier can serve a duel purpose.

“Meals for Me delivery drivers check on seniors when they bring them their lunch, but the mailman can be a second set of eyes,” Ward said.

Indeed, the post office has just such a program in place.

The Carrier Alert Program is a joint effort of the Postal Service, the Bureau of Elder and Adult Services and the Area Agencies on Aging.

“Letter carriers are always watching out for their customers,” said Randy Michaud, acting postmaster in Bangor and postmaster in Augusta. “If they have been doing a route for a while they get to know the customers pretty well.”

The Carrier Alert Program makes the job of keeping an eye on an elderly customer a little easier. The program is free, and joining is simply a matter of completing a one-page registration form that lists your name, address, emergency contact, medical contact and special health conditions – such as diabetes or heart problems. One copy of the form will be filed with the post office, and one at Eastern Agency on Aging.

You will be given a special decal, which will alert the carrier that you are registered with the program. It is recommended that the decal be placed inside the mailbox, where it is not visible from the street.

If the mail of an elderly or handicapped person has not been retrieved for a day or two, and the post office has not been notified that the customer will be away, a postal supervisor will contact Eastern Agency on Aging.

An agency staff person will try to telephone you. If there’s no answer, a call will be placed to the emergency contact listed on the registration form. If the contact cannot be reached, agency personnel will make a trip to your home, or notify police to check on your well-being.

Ever vigilant, even if a person is not registered with the Carrier Alert Program but mail is accumulating, the postal service will contact police.

“It is always better if someone is on file because we know who to notify first,” Michaud said. “Some people don’t want to be watched so closely, so it’s good to have the form on file.”

One lucky man probably owes his life to his letter carrier.

“She noticed his mail had not been picked up and the police were called. The man had fallen in the bathroom and could not get up or get anyone’s attention,” Michaud said. “He was pretty happy and grateful when found. If this program helps just one person than that’s a good thing.”

If you would like to join the Carrier Alert Program, call Eastern Agency to get your registration form and decal. Help, when you need it, can be as close as your mailbox.

Carol Higgins is director of communications at Eastern Agency on Aging. For information on EAA services or programs, call the resource and referral department at 941-2865 or log on www.eaaa.org.