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The Village of Palmetto Bay has launched a new program to help seniors in the community.
Called the Bathroom Fall Prevention Grant Program, the plan will assist adult seniors in Palmetto Bay with the purchase and installation of grab bars for their home bathrooms. The safety program was developed under the leadership of Councilmember Marsha Matson after she had grab bars installed in her home bathroom and realized how much safer they made her feel.
“The idea for this came about because of my sister, Wendy Matson, and my brother-in-law, Fernando Martinez,” Councilmember Matson said. “They live in Houston, TX, where they do home inspections, and when they came to visit me here in Palmetto Bay the last time, they thought it would be a good thing to install grab bars in the bathtub for me because I’m a senior. They’re very sweet that way.
“Well, I found the grab bars to be very helpful and I thought it would be nice if the village could offer help with that for some of the seniors in our community. The village manager agreed it was a good idea, and the rest of the council did, too.”
There are openings for 20 grants for eligible seniors who can receive up to $500 for the purchase and installation of grab bars. The grants will be given to seniors randomly selected from applications received by the deadline.
To qualify for the grant, recipients must meet the following criteria:
● Must be a senior 65 years of age or older, who has difficulty performing at least one activity of daily living.
● Must have resided in Palmetto Bay for at least one year.
● Must live in a single-family home that is covered by an active homeowners insurance policy.
Program guidelines were made available on June 16 of this year. The application period opens on July 16. Grant application is available online and at Village Hall. Deadline for applications is Aug. 16. Grant awardees will be notified on Aug. 23. Reimbursement requests are due Dec. 30 by the 5 p.m. deadline.
Full details are available at www.palmettobay-fl.gov/1252/Bathroom-Fall-Prevention-Grant-Program.
If you have any questions or need further clarification or assistance with completing your application, contact the village at 305-259-1234.
