Willing volunteers can help elderly neighbors, by just being a friendly visitor, according to Cindy Adams, the coordinator of the friendly visiting program of Senior Services Associates, Inc..
Cindy enlists volunteers of all ages, active retirees, working professionals, and college students, to spend an hour or more each week to visit someone who’s lonely. Her challenge is connecting seniors in need to just the right volunteer.
Spanish speaking volunteers are needed. There are many English-speaking volunteers in both Kane and Kendall County, but all Cindy’s Spanish speaking volunteers are currently in Kane County, which is a hardship for Spanish speaking seniors in Kendall County.
She explains, “Most volunteers want to visit in their own neighborhoods. Because of their busy lives, they find it difficult to drive a distance to visit a senior in need of a friend. That is understandable.”
However, there are many Spanish Speaking seniors in Kendall County who could benefit from a friendly visitor, but she currently does not have anyone to place with them.
“There are so many seniors who could thrive with a little bit of company, I just need to find a volunteer who lives close by, Cindy said. “It can be challenging for me, but I am committed to continuing to build this program.”
For some, volunteering is just calling on the phone once a week, sort of a wellness check, and another volunteer in Kendall offers therapy dog visits.
While this program is not available to those who live in memory care, rehab, or assisted living facilities, it is a very successful and long-standing program for elderly people living in their own homes, and most volunteers who try it out build incredible bonds with their new friend.
Volunteers must be at least 18 and older, and they must be 21 or older to drive. All are carefully screened before a match is made, and both the senior and the volunteer answer a series of questions about their hobbies and interests. Once matched, they begin with weekly phone calls to get acquainted.
“When they both are ready to meet in person, I meet with them at the senior’s home for a short visit together, and then I leave,” Cindy said. “This is when they decide on what days and times work best for their visits.
Volunteers are not coming to help with housekeeping, personal assistance in daily living tasks, or to provide medical care of any sort. They are just friends who stop by to talk about shared interests and to have fun together. They can take outings together, attend ball games, go to the movies, play bingo, or just take a drive to get an ice cream cone.
“Many seniors could really thrive with a new friend,” Cindy said. “It is hard though. They are sometimes nervous or afraid to welcome some one in. Family members say, ‘Yes, Mom, you should do this’. But it is ultimately the senior’s decision to be in this program.”
Cindy feels fortunate to see and hear the stories of those who do connect, though. “It really touches my heart, and it makes me so happy to be able to help seniors with this program.”
The Friendly Visiting Program aligns well with the mission of Senior Services Associates, a non-profit agency dedicated to sustaining and improving the quality of life for individuals 60 and older. This program, for seniors who live at home or with family and no longer drive, runs on the power of love and connectivity, by volunteers giving just a little of their time. It helps elderly people maintain their lives, their memories, their hobbies and interests, and to live in their own homes longer and happier than they could have ever imagined.
If you know an older person in need of companionship, if you yourself are that person, or if you can see your own life enriched by spending an hour or so each week visiting a new friend, contact Cindy at Senior Services Associates at 630-897-4035, for Kane County, and at 630-553-3777, for Kendall County. You can also email Cindy at cadams@seniorservicesassoc.org to learn firsthand about this amazing volunteer opportunity.
Barb Nadeau is a freelance writer, who has served in a variety of capacities throughout her career, including public relations, television producer and host, on air radio host, print journalist, and in the non-profit sector networking among a variety of social service agencies and service providers throughout the State of Illinois. She is also serving her hometown of Plano Illinois as an elected Alderman. Contact Barb at bvnadeau@gmail.com.