For Release: IMMEDIATE
Date: November 1, 2005

Electric Fans Available to North Carolina Seniors

RALEIGH – Operation Fan/Heat Relief, a special project that provides electric fans to seniors, is now underway across North Carolina.

The fans are purchased through donations from the Dominion North Carolina Foundation ($7,500), Duke Energy Foundation ($40,000) Duke Power’s Foundation for the Carolinas ($50,000), Progress Energy Foundation, Inc ($20,000), and Valassis Communications, Inc ($500). Many counties also accept private donations from individuals or civic groups to purchase additional fans. In limited areas, air conditioners will be available for individuals who have extreme medical conditions and whose doctor has made such a request.

The project, which began in 1986, is managed through the Division of Aging and Adult Services (DAAS) in the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services.

Dennis Streets, Director of the DAAS, said that seniors are especially vulnerable to heat exhaustion. “Chronic health problems in older persons require medication that can affect the body’s natural defenses against heat and humidity,” said Streets. “These fans can be a lifesaver for some and help all recipients stay more comfortable and healthier in their own home.”

Last summer, seniors received 5125 fans and 17 air conditioners through Operation Fan/Heat Relief, an increase of over 400 people from the 2004 statistics. People aged 60 and older across North Carolina who meet the program’s guidelines may obtain a fan or air conditioner through a local service provider which has been designated by the regional Area Agency on Aging. Operation Fan/Heat Relief runs through September.

For more information on the program in your area, contact your local aging office. If additional assistance is needed, contact Nancy Evans at the Division of Aging and Adult Services 919-733-0440 or nancy.evans@ncmail.net.

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