Is there a need for unpaid volunteers to assist these people?

I do not have a hospice situation, but my husband can only have food, meds and water through a tube so I am always "on". No family member lives near but when someone does come, I can run out for a short errand and it's wonderful!....we caregivers need a break too......:)

I'm retired, 61 yr old guy and I've been doing hospice volunteering for over a year. There is a need all over the country. Check out a non profit organization in your area. On thing we do is respite visits so the family caregiver can get a break for a few hours. It's a godsend for folks to get out and run some errands, shopping, movie etc.

You sound like a really caring person and let it be known, that you want to volunteer your services. As another said, men aren't available in abundance. I really can appreciate the help from car to doctor one person suggested. Almost anything you can do to help seniors will be appreciated. God Bless You!

Sorry about the last comment which was truncated when I forgot to delete it.

Just thought of another thing you could do - help seniors use computers, JUST for basic functions. Local communities have adult ed classes for this purpose.

You must be a miracle person! To express such a desire to help is truly commendable and heartwarming.

If you're willing to consider options other than specific in home care, not only would you be helping seniors, but generally more of them although in a less personal way.

However, I don't believe mileage reimbursement is provided, so if you're looking for a zero expense volunteer position, that might be harder to find.

You could contact local senior citizen centers to see if they need volunteers to bring Meals on Wheels to homebound seniors.

Food pantries use volunteers to sort and distribute food.

If you're a DIY and handy person, Habitat for Humanity and Christmas in April provide various household repair services.

You might contact your local county offices; ours has a list of various services provided to needy seniors, including respite services.

Area Agencies on Aging are also good sources for a variety of needs in their geographic area. Jewish Welfare Federations also provide services. They're both good organizations to contact for ideas on how to implement your desire to offer help.

You might also contact VFW, American Legion, and the VA. Our local VA has a variety of staffers, some of whom drive the little golf type carts that bring veterans from the parking lot to the outpatient facility, as well as within the facility from one department to another. Others drive carts with a variety of books and magazines which they bring for people waiting to be seen by medical professionals.

These drivers are very friendly, engage in conversations, and provide cheer and support for veterans coming for health treatment. And they're very important because not all veterans can walk even the 100 yards or so from the parking lot to the building, let alone from one department to another.

Hospitals may need a volunteer to work in the gift shop.

These aren't in-home care, but they are helpful to the people in receipt of the services.



Some hospitals

Bless your heart! I could have used you with both my daddy and my FIL. They had good care, but it was almost all family and we were exhausted.

FIL, esp, would have appreciated a buddy to take him to get coffee and just talk. It was really hard to spend a lot of time with him when I had 5 kids at home who needed me.

Our newspaper actually runs a Volunteer needs space in the Sunday paper.

God Bless YOU!!

I too commend your desire to be of use to someone who needs help. If you're a member of a church you might want to call the church office. I know my church works with elderly shut-ins on a volunteer basis. If the church doesn't have anything available ask them what they would suggest.

Also, there are adult daycares. I volunteered at a daycare for adults with brain injuries for several years. But there are adult daycares for seniors who have Alzheimer's and age related decline.

Oh wow. I would love to have someone like you to just come and socialize with my Dad. You dont happen to live in Texas do you?

Good for you for wanting to help! You can really make a difference in someones life.

Keith, you might start by contacting local agencies that deal in caregiving, some of them arrange for volunteer helpers as well as paid care. You should also try individual charities: cancer, alzheimer's, parkinson's, etc, they all should have opportunities for you to help others.
And good for you, there are way too few men involved in caregiving!