|
Senior
Companions are volunteers, age 60 and over, who provide assistance and
friendship to seniors and others who have difficulty with daily living
tasks. They help them live independently, sparing them from moving to
expensive institutional care until absolutely necessary.
Sr. Companions
offer their clients contact with the outside world and make their lives
less lonely. Senior Companions usually serve two to four clients
during their 20 hours of weekly service. Many serve the same clients
for several years to form some of the most meaningful friendships of their
lives.
Senior
Companions are well trained and responsive. They receive a 40 hour
orientation before they begin working and four hours monthly in-service
training in areas such as Alzheimer's, strokes, diabetes and mental health.
- They provide respite care
to relieve primary caregivers for short periods of time.
- They are often a critical
part of a client's "care team". Sr. Companions alert
doctors and family members of potential problems, allowing them to
provide immediate care to the client.
- Sr. Companions receive a small
tax-free stipend to cover the cost of volunteering. They also
receive reimbursement for transportation, if it is not provided, and
an annual physical examination.
Southern
Maryland Tri-County Community Action (SMTCCAC, Inc.) has provided the
Senior Companion Program (SCP) to the Tri-County area for over 26 years.
Currently
the program is authorized to allow 60 Sr. Companions to serve the residents
of Calvert, Charles and St. Mary's Counties.
The Senior Companion Program
is funded by the Corporation for National and
Community Services.
|
