|
< Back to Volunteer Opportunities
 More
than 50
percent of nursing home residents never have visitors. As a result,
the remaining years of many of our community's elderly
are spent in loneliness and isolation. The Senior Source is working
to improve the lives of those residents through its Friendly
Visitor Program. Last year almost 1,000 Friendly Visitor
Volunteers visited Dallas area nursing home residents. Through visitations
that fit their schedule, Friendly Visitor Volunteers can make a
nursing home resident feel less lonely.
How Friendly Visitors improve the lives of residents
Friendly Visitors are placed in area nursing homes
and assisted living facilities to spend time with isolated residents or assist with group activities.
Back to top
Who can be a Friendly Visitor
This program is great for groups or individuals of all ages.
Volunteers under the age of 15 require adult
supervision. Friendly Visitors have included
-
Individuals
- Corporate
groups - many business groups become Friendly Visitors as a team
building project
-
Service organizations,
religious groups, civic clubs
-
Youth groups, community projects for schools, scout groups, etc.
Back to top
Ways to volunteer
There
are a variety of ways to volunteer as a Friendly Visitor. Examples
of past activities are:
Groups
-
"Adopt" a long-term care facility
for a special occasion
-
Give a holiday party
with entertainment, refreshments, prizes
-
Sponsor an event,
such as bingo, sing-a-long, facility
beautification projects
Individuals
-
"Adopt" one resident
-
Visit all rooms
-
Help with activities such as bingo, arts and crafts,
manicures
-
Take your pet to visit residents (must have permission from the facility)
We are always open to new ideas for volunteer activities.
Back to top
How to become a Friendly Visitor
A volunteer
coordinator will match you or your group with residents of a nursing home
and/or assisted living facility.
We ensure that the location will be geographically
convenient.
Please
click here for
the Friendly Visitor volunteer form. Instructions are at the bottom
of the form. Or you can contact our office at 214.823.5700 or
email.
Back
to top
Friendly Visitors Orientation
We provide orientation at the volunteer's assigned nursing home and/or
assited living facility and ongoing support to ensure a successful experience for both volunteers and nursing home residents.
Back to top
Number of people served in 2010
In
2010, 1,346 new Friendly Visitors contacted nursing
home and assisted living facility residents.
Back
to top
Major funders of this program ($5000+)
-
Dallas Area Agency of Aging and the
Texas Department of Aging and Disability
Services
-
Junior League of Dallas, Inc.
-
Spirit of Generations Awards Luncheon
-
United Way of Metropolitan Dallas, Inc.
Back to top
For more information
Please contact the Nursing Home Ombudsman Director at 214.823.5700 or
email.
Back to top
|
