Operation Fan Heat Relief
Distributing fans through October.
The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services‚ Division of Aging and Adult Services is partnering with the NC Area Agencies on Aging and local service providers to distribute fans through Operation Fan Heat Relief until Oct. 31, 2018.
As individuals age and develop chronic medical conditions, they are less likely to sense and respond to changes in temperature. They may also be taking medications that can worsen the impact of extreme heat.
People 60 and older, as well as adults with disabilities, are eligible to sign up for assistance through the end of October at local aging agencies. Since 1986, the relief program has purchased fans for older adults and adults with disabilities, providing them with a more comfortable living environment and reducing heat-related illnesses.
The program is made possible by donations from Duke Energy Carolinas, Duke Energy Progress, Dominion Resources, and the Valassis Giving Committee, which allow regional area agencies on aging, and provider agencies to purchase fans for eligible individuals.
Last year, the division received $85,600 in donations, allowing for the distribution of 5,033 fans and 27 air conditioners.
For more details, people should contact their area agency on aging, or call Lisa Worth, Housing Program Consultant, Division of Aging and Adult Services, at (919) 855-3419.
More information about Operation Fan Heat Relief, including tips on preparing for extreme heat and a list of local agencies distributing fans, is available at www.ncdhhs.gov/operation-fan-and-heat-relief.
