Lyme Action Tool Kits Bring Honors
Staff at the St. Mary’s County Department of Aging and Human Services’ Northern Senior Activity Center were recognized June 11, 2019, with a Program of Excellence Award: Honorable Mention in the Nutrition and Health Promotions Category from the Maryland Association of Senior Centers for Lyme Action Tool Kits.
The MASC Programs of Excellence Awards contest was created to honor and promote the outstanding efforts that have been made by senior centers to enhance program offerings for their members.
The Lyme Action Tool Kit was praised by MASC in a news release for its “wide impact and level of resources provided to the community … For a very low cost, it managed to tackle three approaches to dealing with Lyme disease, from awareness to action to advocacy. The comprehensive community-based approach for preventing and managing Lyme disease is admirable and essential to improving public health.”
The kits were created to fulfill a public education and outreach niche for the complex issue of tick-borne diseases. MarieNoelle Lautieri, Northern Senior Activity Center operations manager and facilitator of the Lyme Disease Support and Discussion Group, found out that the senior community was requesting direct and specific instructions about this topic and designed the tool kit for those not comfortable using, or without access to, the Internet.
The message of the tool kit is “What you need to know and what you can do.” An infographic that includes clear visual and action-specific instructions promotes educational resources, how senior centers and libraries help, and where caregivers can find support. It also offers details on how local laws, legislation, and efforts relate to the topic. The lime-colored kit included an awareness bracelet and brochures from Lyme-literate organizations. The kit offers suggestions that can be used whether someone is diagnosed with Lyme, caring for someone sick, or just looking for concrete and reliable information.
Toolkits are free to those 50 or older, one per person. The department has received seven MASC awards since 2005.
For more information on the kits or the Department of Aging, visit the organization’s website or call 301-475-4200, ext. 71050.
To learn more about Lexington Park, visit the St. Mary’s County Community Development Corporation’s Leader member page.
St. Mary’s County Community Development Corporation
46940 South Shangri-La Drive, Suite 7
Lexington Park, MD 20653
301-863-7700
