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to Services for Volunteer Opportunities
VIP Volunteers
visit and help improve
the quality of life of vulnerable older adults who can no longer
make safe, appropriate decisions for themselves. Older adults who
are eligible for this program have been determined by the probate
courts to be unable to
take care of themselves.
Money Management is a part of this program.
Why
and where VIP Volunteers are needed
Some elderly
cannot manage on their own and do not have friends or family members
who are willing or suitable to serve as their guardians. The courts
appoint The Senior Source as guardian of the person. VIP
Volunteers are matched with Dallas, Collin, Rockwall, Kaufman or
Hunt County adults over the age of 50 who have been determined to
be incapacitated by the probate courts. By visiting and providing
social contact, the volunteers protect the well-being and ensure
the health and safety of these older adults. The quality time
spent with clients also helps prevent
abuse, neglect and exploitation of an extremely vulnerable segment
of our population.
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Could
this be your neighbor?
| Mrs. C's husband
died over 10 years ago. They never had any children, and every
day she missed her best friend and companion of almost 45 years.
Each morning the neighbors would see her standing at the bus
stop close to her house, waiting to board the bus to take her
to downtown Dallas to her favorite donut shop that she had frequented
the many years she worked at an insurance company. She would
come home with her box of donuts and Dr Peppers and spend her
days alone in her home. Ms. C had a wonderful sense of humor
and enjoyed life to the fullest. She had wonderful memories
of her life before Alzheimer’s disease began to rob
her of this comfort. Neighbors
would check on her from time to time. Friends who had moved
from Dallas would send letters and Christmas cards. One very
hot August day, neighbors realized no one had seen Ms. C recently.
The mail had begun to pile up in the mailbox. The police were
called and Adult Protective Services saw that she was taken
to the hospital. The advanced Alzheimer’s disease and profound
hearing loss prevented her from returning home.
Because
Ms. C was not able to provide the basic needs of food, shelter
and medical care for herself, it was determined that guardianship
was the only option to ensure Ms. C’s safety and well-being.
APS referred Ms. C to our guardianship program. Since Ms.
C was unable to return to her home, as Guardian of the Person,
we worked with the Guardian of the Estate to clean her house,
sell it and make sure Ms. C had the things she needed to be
comfortable in a protected environment. Our volunteer and staff visit regularly to ensure
Ms. C’s health and well-being. Ms. C is in a safe place
where people care about her and she enjoys good nutrition,
medical care and a much higher quality of life. |
From
the outside of the house, it looks like any house on
the block. No indication of the chaos inside is visible.
We later learned that the neighborhood association was
maintaining the lawn and outside of the house. They
had no idea that the resident was in such a predicament. |
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PLEASE
HELP
By volunteering. Assist staff
in improving the health and well-being of these vulnerable
adults after they have been placed in a safe environment.
Click
here.
By donating. Help us meet
the growing need. Click
here. |
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Who can be a VIP Volunteer
Individuals
21 years or older who have the time and interest can become a VIP
Volunteer. No special skills are required outside of a genuine
concern and compassion to enhance the quality of life for an older
adult. Personal references, interviews and criminal background checks
are required.
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Training that we provide for VIP Volunteers
Guardianship
staff provide three hours of initial training and quarterly trainings
by mail and through meetings.
In addition, our staff and community professionals provide ongoing
support by telephone, email and visits when needed.
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VIP Volunteer responsibilities
Volunteers
carry out their activities under the supervision of Guardianship staff,
by making regular visits to clients and providing assistance in
a number of areas, including:
- visiting a
minimum of twice per month
- providing much needed social interaction
-
reading, sharing memories, playing games, etc.
- observing and
reporting areas of concern to our Guardianship staff
- completing
and submitting monthly activity reports to staff
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Become a VIP Volunteer
Click
here for an application that can be downloaded. Please
return the completed application to Guardianship and Money Management
Director, The Senior Source, 3910 Harry Hines Boulevard, Dallas, Texas 75219.
If you have questions or comments, please contact the Guardianship
staff at 214.823.5700 or email.
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Number of people served in 2009
In 2009, 121
frail elderly individuals were served by 37 VIP Volunteers,
who contributed more than 1,250 hours of service.
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Major
funders of this program ($5000+)
- Spirit of Generations Awards Luncheon
- Dallas County
- Texas Department of Aging and Disability
Services
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For
more information
Please contact
the Guardianship and Money Management Director at 214.823.5700 or
email.
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