NEK Council on Aging Launches New Website

The Northeast Kingdom Council on Aging formally announces the launch of its new website designed to serve as an informative communications tool for all residents of the Northeast Kingdom, and especially those who support and care for older Vermonters and those with disabilities. The new website is www.nekcouncil.org .

The website features expanded content including, photos, videos, a master events calendar (meals, classes, events, exercise programs, Medicare bootcamps), a comprehensive services section, nutritional/meal site resources and maps, volunteer information, stories and testimonials, expanded news and wellness program sections, and a complete staff and board directory. The website is also fully compliant to meet the needs of the visual and hearing impaired.

“Our new website provides everyone with valuable information to support our older family, friends, and neighbors as they age well, their way,” said Meg Burmeister, Executive Director of the NEK Council on Aging. “The person-centered services provided by the Council are diverse and in addition to our Helpline, we wanted to provide access to anyone seeking information during the day, in the middle of the night, or on the weekends. I believe the new website will be a very helpful resource to members of our NEK families and beyond.”

For the development of the website, the Council turned to Northeast Kingdom Online, a marketing and branding agency located in Lyndonville, VT. Using their proprietary content management system, NEKO360, the Council is able to make changes to the website easily and quickly via the internet. With responsive design, the new website can be viewed across many different devices (PC, tablet, and smartphone).

"Coming into this project, we knew that accessibility was going to be a top priority. A lot of care went into creating an experience that would be productive and workable for the Council's staff and diverse community," said Jay Davis, CEO and Partner of Northeast Kingdom Online. "I appreciated the opportunity to learn about the services provided by the Council--it helped us to fine-tune our design with the client in mind."

The Council offers over 37 wellness classes every week throughout the Kingdom and with the new master calendar on the website, one can search by program, day, month, or town to discover exactly what is going on in real time.

“By making this information easier to access, we hope to increase the support and participation in our programs and services which include: State Health Insurance (SHIP); Independent Living; Food and Fuel; Wellness; Caregiving; Community Dining Sites/Meals on Wheels; Veteran’s Services; Nutrition; Pets for Life, LBGTQ Advocacy, Transportation; Senior Companions; and Volunteers,” said Burmeister. “Most of these programs are provided free of charge and supported by our staff of 26 people and a team of over 350 volunteers.”

The use of the new website can be measured and is designed to grow as the Council grows. “The new website allows the Council to be more proactive in communicating with current and new Council clients and their families,” said Mel Reis, a marketing consultant assisting the Council with the development of the new website. “Based on how visitors are using the website, the Council can track what content is being viewed and fine-tune their marketing and communications plans based on how visitors are accessing and using the website.”

The NEK Council on Aging has offices in St. Johnsbury, Newport, Island Pond, and Hardwick. The Hardwick and Island Pond locations are by appointment only. For further information, call the Helpline at 800-642-5119 or visit nekcouncil.org.