Town Of Smithtown Senior Citizens Can Call For Home Repairs

Press release from the Town of Smithtown:

Smithtown seniors in need of minor household repairs can contact the Town of Smithtown Senior Citizens Department to take advantage of the Residential Repair Program.

In addition to a series of other household assistance services available to senior citizens, the repair program allows people over 60 to save money while maintaining independence longer.

“This is an outstanding service for residents, especially for residents living on a retirement or pension," Supervisor Edward Wehrheim stated. "There is no cost for labor, as you only cover the cost of any parts or materials needed for the repair. Our team of trained professionals are thoroughly vetted, friendly and trusted employees who genuinely love helping our senior community. If you are looking to help out a parent, or you are over the age 60 and have a few minor repairs around the house that need to be taken care of, I would highly recommend calling the Senior Center to schedule a service call."

The Residential Repair Program provides assistance for tasks that do not require the skills of a licensed craftsman. The Town of Smithtown employs a crew of experienced maintenance personnel who can provide a variety of minor home repair services to senior citizens.

Services can include repairs to leaky faucets, running toilets, replacing light fixtures or hard to reach light bulbs, security and home safety features such as lock replacement, replacing smoke/carbon monoxide detectors and installing bathroom grab bars or indoor railings.

Residential Repair Services include plumbing; replacing washers or faucets for kitchen sinks; wash basins and tubs; clearing clogged sinks; repairing toilet tanks; electrical repairing or rewiring lamps and frayed cords; replacing light switches, receptacles or fuses where accessible; carpentry; installation of grab bars, safety rails, and handrails; minor repairs to doors, floors, house trim, etc.; installation of shelves and curtain rods; interior painting - primer only (no cosmetic work); ceilings where water or structural damage has occurred; patching walls and ceilings; weatherization; caulking and weather stripping of windows and doors.

Exterior services, weather permitting, are also available. These include minor patching of concrete, walkways and masonry foundations; cleaning gutters and drains for single-story homes only; crime prevention and safety installation of door and window locks; installation of door viewers (peepholes); installation of smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors; miscellaneous service installation or removal of storm windows and screens; and repairing of screens.

Appliance repairs, with the exception of water hose connections, are not allowed.

Additional minor repairs must be assessed and receive prior approval from the Senior Center.

Town of Smithtown residents are eligible for the Residential Repair Program if they are homeowners or renters aged 60 and over. There are no labor fees for this program. Clients must either provide or pay for the materials required for each job. Repair requests will be serviced in the order they are received.

Jobs requesting the installation of safety equipment will be given first priority. Funding for this program is provided by the New York State Office for the Aging, the Suffolk County Office for the Aging, and the Town of Smithtown.

Tipping is not permitted. Recipients will be given the opportunity to make a voluntary contribution to the program.

To apply, people may contact the Smithtown Senior Center at 631-360-7616 between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. An assessment of the job may be needed to estimate work and cost of materials. Eligible clients can choose to provide or pay for materials. Checks or credit cards are not accepted.

This press release was produced by the Town of Smithtown. The views expressed here are the author’s own.