Agency on Aging of South Central Connecticut (AOASCC) 

North Haven, Connecticut | aoascc.org

The Agency on Aging of  South Central Connecticut’s model, in partnership with Trusted Ride-Certified, aims to improve the health and well-being of older adults and people with disabilities by facilitating a reduction in missed medical appointments and procedures resulting from transportation barriers. The Trusted Ride Program has expanded its model to include Vaccine Buddies assisting older adults and adults with disabilities to register and receive COVID 19 vaccinations including transportation, if needed. The delivery of services includes remote connections, and contactless interactions, using public safety precautions. AOASCC’s model includes building a network of screened and trained volunteer chaperones to accompany older adults and adults with disabilities in need to and from non-emergency medical appointments and outpatient procedures. AOASCC serves an urban community.

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Aging Clinic of the Rockies at Colorado State University

Fort Collins, Colorado | psychology.colostate.edu/acor

Aging Clinic of the Rockies (ACoR)’s model establishes a family caregiver mentorship program to support novice caregivers by pairing them with experienced caregivers. The delivery of services includes virtual communication. Caregiver mentors are trained as peer counselors to maximize their efficacy as mentors. ACoR’s senior peer counseling (SPC) program is a long-standing successful program, which trains volunteer older adults as peer counselors. ACoR serves urban, suburban, and rural communities.

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Aroostook Agency on Aging (AAAA)

Presque Isle, Maine | aroostookaging.org

Aroostook Agency on Aging’s model addresses community unmet needs for older adults and adults with disabilities by using Friendly Visiting to reduce social isolation, Friendly Helpers to assist with home maintenance and repairs, and Friendly Neighbors to link those in need to the Agency and other vital community partners. The delivery of the services includes  phone, texting, etc. and using public safety precautions. The model’s goals are to increase social inclusion, older adult’s ability to live independently, and improve quality of life. AAAA serves a very large geographical rural area.

 

 

Catholic Charities Southwestern Ohio (CCSWO)

Cincinnati, Ohio | ccswoh.org

The Catholic Charities Southwestern Ohio’s Senior Services Program model provides evidence-based Powerful Tools for Caregivers (PTC) classes for caregivers, caregiver support groups, and respite and companionship. The delivery of services includes remote connections and use of public safety precautions.  CCSWO’s goals are to empower family caregivers to maintain their health and well-being, address older adults’ needs, provide respite for caregivers, and increase access to available resources. CCSWO serves urban and rural communities, with a focus on serving Hispanic and rural communities.

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Catholic Community Service, Inc. (CCS)  

Juneau, Alaska | ccsjuneau.org

Catholic Community Service’s model volunteer program (Friends of Seniors) includes companionship visits, patient advocacy, wake-up and evening check-ins, subsistence hunting and fishing, home and heat maintenance, light housekeeping, safety checks, food preparation, technology support, medical equipment delivery, mail maintenance, and pet assistance, using public safety precautions. CCS’s model reinforces Juneau’s strong community ties and supports older adults’ desire to live independently by easing the emotional and physical risks of isolation and bridging essential resource gaps in their community. CCS’s model creates mutuality between providing and giving care to address older community members’ reluctance to ask for and/or receive assistance, which often creates a significant risk to their health and independence. CCS serves rural, suburban, and tribal communities.

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Carova Beach Volunteer Fire & Rescue Auxiliary, Inc. (CBVFR)

Corolla, North Carolina

Carova Beach Volunteer Fire and Rescue Auxiliary’s model uses volunteers to assist at-risk older adults in a physically remote and secluded coastal community. The model’s volunteer services include providing non-medical services such as visitation, errands, light chores, meal assistance, and home repairs. CBVFR’s model will also encourage participation in community-based social activities, when appropriate, and facilitate access to health care through transportation services. The delivery of services utilizes remote connections and contactless interactions using public safety precautions. CBVFR Auxiliary supports the Carova Beach Volunteer Fire & Rescue Department and serves the surrounding rural community.

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Clackamas County Social Services (CCSS)

Oregon City, Oregon | clackamas.us/socialservices

Clackamas County Social Services’ model provides home maintenance, companionship, family caregiver supports, group classes, and system navigation services to older adults and persons with disabilities. CCSS expanded its Volunteer Connection Program to start a new Friendly Visitor project that recruits and trains volunteers to provide non-medical services to older adults, people with disabilities, and family caregivers. CCSS has expanded its program to include vaccination scheduling assistance. The delivery of services includes remote connections. CCSS model seeks to help people to age in place, while also decreasing loneliness and social isolation and facilitating access to necessary services. CCSS serves urban, suburban, and rural communities.

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DOROT, Inc. 

New York, New York | dorotusa.org

DOROT’s model mobilizes volunteers to alleviate social isolation of older adults to help them live independently. DOROT is expanding its volunteer Response Team to address older adults’ immediate needs, and is establishing ongoing Caring Calls by volunteers, among other services. The delivery of services includes remote connections.  DOROT’s model seeks to reach under- and unserved older adults, offer meaningful volunteer opportunities that bring generations together, alleviate social isolation, and offer essential resources. DOROT serves urban and suburban communities.

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ElderSource

Jacksonville, Florida | myeldersource.org

ElderSource’s model volunteer program provides a telephone reassurance program, Caring Connections, to older adults who live alone or are home-bound. Volunteers telephone older adults to check in on their well-being while also providing them with an opportunity to socialize and talk about things of common interest. The model’s goals are to eliminate or reduce isolation, promote access to additional support services, and support older adults’ ability to age in place. ElderSource serves urban and rural communities. 

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Good Shepherd Interfaith Volunteer Caregivers (GSIVC) 

Shepherdstown, West Virginia | gsivc.org

Good Shepherd Interfaith Volunteer Caregivers’ model uses volunteers to provide a friendly visitor program, home repairs and modifications, assistive devices, medical equipment lending, lawn and garden services, snow removal, light housekeeping, meal preparation, and transportation to older adults with difficulty living independently and persons age 18 and older with a disability. The delivery of services follow public safety precautions. The model’s goals are to increase independent living, decrease isolation, and improve quality of life. GSIVC seeks to establish and maintain new sources for a diverse volunteer base. GSIVC serves rural communities.

 

 

Jewish Family Services of Washtenaw County (JFS)

Ann Arbor, Michigan | jfsannarbor.org

Jewish Family Services of Washtenaw County’s model involves developing an innovative platform to enable volunteers to engage with older adults and persons with disabilities remotely through video calls, live streaming, or other electronic means. JFS volunteers will use the virtual platform to facilitate volunteer and care recipient access to services, offering eVisits including friendly visits, check-ins, or phone reassurance visits, and eRespite to remotely engage in various activities so that a family caregiver can engage in other tasks. JFS is partnering with Otsego County Commission on Aging, Flint Jewish Federation, and Verizon. JFS serves urban, suburban, and rural communities.

 

 

Lifespan of Greater Rochester, Inc.

Rochester, New York | lifespan-roch.org

Lifespan of Greater Rochester’s model recruits volunteers to provide respite for family caregivers with dementia, chronic or other illness. All caregivers and/or care recipients will be age 60 or older. Lifespan’s model includes volunteers trained on Reminiscence/Life Review as part of the respite visit. The delivery of services includes remote connections.  Lifespan’s model also pilots a Texting Buddy program for caregivers who do not desire traditional respite. Lifespan seeks to fill the needs of diverse caregivers and communities. Lifespan serves urban, suburban, and rural communities.

 

 

Lori’s Hands, Inc.

Newark, Delaware & Baltimore, Maryland | lorishands.org

Lori’s Hands’ model  trains and equips college students to make weekly volunteer visits to assist community members living with chronic illnesses. Student volunteers  provide non-medical services, such as, picking up prescriptions and groceries, doing laundry, offering technology training, helping to connect with other community resources, and providing companionship, among other essential tasks. The tasks performed are contactless, using virtual communications and public safety precautions. Lori’s Hands model supports aging-in-place, while training a next-generation aging services work force. Lori’s Hands serves urban and suburban communities.

 

 

Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota (LSS) 

St. Paul, Minnesota | lssmn.org

Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota’s model educates, trains (using the evidence-based Respite Education and Support Tools/REST curriculum) and empowers volunteers within participating congregations to provide high quality, non-medical support for older adults, people with disabilities, and family caregivers. Volunteer services include the use of technology to connect isolated individuals and families to the community. After one-year, participating congregations will have a cohort of trained volunteers, a lead technology volunteer, and a lead training volunteer who can train volunteers beyond the grant term. LSS serves urban, suburban, and rural communities.

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New Mexico Caregivers Coalition (NMCC)

Bernalillo, New Mexico | nmdcc.org

The New Mexico Caregivers Coalition’s model focuses on Trainings and Interventions to serve Family Caregivers and Care Recipients throughout New Mexico. The trainings consist of relevant topic areas such as: Infection Prevention, Safe Transfer and Mobility, Opioid Overdose Concerns, and Online Safety and Identity Protection. The 60 – 90 minutes training will occur over the course of one or several days.  All trainings are delivered virtually and online with participants recruited from different ethnic and racial groups, including Hispanics and Native Americans. Volunteers assist with the trainings and at times act as guest speakers during the trainings. NMCC serves urban, suburban, rural, and Tribal communities.

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North Coast Opportunities, Inc. (NCO)

Ukiah, California | ncoinc.org

North Coast Opportunities’ model uses volunteer companions to provide social contact and nourishing meals for frail and/or socially isolated older adults who are having difficulty maintaining their independence.  Volunteers also assist clients in assessing their home for disaster readiness and with developing emergency preparedness plans for their households. The delivery of services includes contactless meal delivery and remote connections via phone calls and video chats. The overall model’s goals are to decrease self-reported social isolation, increase health and wellbeing, and increase reported ability to live independently. NCO’s model builds on four existing NCO programs: Caring Kitchen, Redwood Caregiver Resource Center, Emergency Preparedness in Communities, and the Volunteer Network. NCO serves a rural community.

 

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North Dakota Rural Companions (LSSMN)

Fargo, North Dakota | lssmn.org

The North Dakota Rural Companion’s model will use wireless devices and connections, and technical support to provide companionship services to older adults living in underserved rural, frontier, and Tribal communities of the state as well as New Americans. The goal of the model is for the clients to be able to use technology, encourage video visits to reduce isolation and increase the feeling of connectivity. The program will include developing device guide booklets in the home languages of New Americans. The delivery of services includes remote connections, and contactless interactions, using public safety precautions. The guided release model to the New Americans will greatly expand the ability to reach people through technology. The North Dakota Rural Companions program serves rural, frontier, and Tribal communities.

 

 

Retired & Senior Volunteer Program of Rock County (RSVP Rock)

Beloit, Wisconsin | rsvp-rock.org

Retired and Senior Volunteer Program of Rock County’s model volunteer program  offers transportation services to assist older adults who have lost the ability to drive themselves and to reduce their sense of social isolation. RSVP Rock’s assisted transportation program uses volunteers to drive and assist older adults with errands and appointments. The transportation program operates using public safety precautions. RSVP Rock’s smart display program uses volunteers to setup voice enabled smart devices in older adults’ homes, provide training on using the devices, and coordinate virtual social gatherings to enable seniors, and adults with disabilities to connect with other isolated older adults. RSVP Rock serves rural and suburban communities.

 

 

ShareCare of Leelanau, Inc.

Lake Leelanau, Michigan | sharecareleelanau.org

ShareCare of Leelanau, Inc.’s model, in partnership with Leelanau County Senior Services, is creating an advisory committee, Aging Well in Leelanau, to discuss service gaps experienced by community members. This committee is based on social connections, access to community resources, awareness and coordination of care, and experience in providing volunteer services to help seniors age at home and in the community.  ShareCare is also launching a new phone reassurance program to ensure older adults in Leelanau County are safe, well and socially connected. ShareCare volunteers provide an array of non-medical services, including transportation, errands, and friendly visits. The delivery of services includes remote connections and contactless delivery. The model seeks to increase community volunteerism and reduce social isolation to enable older adults in rural Michigan to have the community support that they need to live independently and well in their own homes. ShareCare serves rural communities. 

 

 

Shepherd's Centers of America (SCA)

Kansas City, Missouri | shepherdcenters.org

Shepherd’s Centers of America’s model volunteer transportation program, Driving Innovation, is designed to meet the growing needs of older adults living in their own homes and communities. The transportation program is enhanced by the development of a Companion Assistant service in which volunteers help older adults during health appointments by taking notes, repeating instructions for clarification, and summarizing discussion of the treatment plan. These programs operate using public safety precautions. SCA is developing a service-learning recruitment and guidance program to engage student volunteers age 18 and older for the companion assistant and driving program. The development and use of a comprehensive educational curriculum with helpful tools and promising practices ensures operational effectiveness, sustainability, and accessibility to further advance volunteer transportation. SCA’s transportation models are offered through eight of its affiliates in Missouri, North Carolina, West Virginia, Virginia, and Texas. SCA serves urban, suburban, and rural communities. 

 

 

St. Agnes Hospital Foundation, Inc.

Baltimore, Maryland | teamsaintagnes.com

The Saint Agnes Hospital Foundation, in partnership with Trusted Ride-Certified,  is developing the new Saint Agnes Trusted Ride program, which will build a network of volunteer chaperones to accompany older adults and adults with disabilities to and from non-emergency medical appointments. The program includes in person chaperone services and virtual chaperone services such as wellness checks, vaccine registration support, and appointment reminders. Volunteer chaperones will be layered onto existing transportation ride-share options to help frail patients navigate the hospital campus. The model will help older adults and people with disabilities access and receive needed medical care, which improves health outcomes and enables people to live independently. St. Agnes Foundation’s Trusted Ride model will also reduce social isolation and family caregiver burden. St. Agnes Foundation serves urban and suburban communities.

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Villages of the Berkshires (VoB)

Lenox, Massachusetts | villagesoftheberkshires.org

The Villages of the Berkshires’ model, in partnership with the Berkshire Community College, is delivering an array of volunteer services to older adults and persons with disabilities who wish to remain in their own homes as they age. VoB volunteers provide contactless services including friendly visitor or phone check-ins, home repairs, and basic technology support and assistance. VoB’s model focuses on strengthening its unique partnership with the Berkshire Community College and its Osher Lifelong Learning Institute to enhance recruitment and training of volunteers to serve in the community. VoB’s partnership with a community college and a lifelong learning institute may be a model for other Villages in the national Village Network. VoB, is a new Village launched in 2020, that serves rural communities. 

 

 

Volunteers of America (VOA), Northern Colorado Services

Fort Collins, Colorado | voacolorado.org/gethelp-northernco

Volunteers of America, Northern Colorado Services’ model will provide volunteer respite visits, both in person and remote, to family caregivers caring for older adults at home, providing a weekly reliable break for the caregiver and a friendly, social connection for the older adult. VOA’s Caregiver Support Program goals are to increase caregiver resiliency, improve the care recipient’s social connectedness, and ensure a meaningful experience for volunteers. VOA serves urban, suburban, and rural communities, including very rural, under-served counties.