WHO Theme: Community Support And Health Services
Health & Wellbeing Theme: Staying Connected
Funding Stream: Community Resilience Fund Covid
Resources Required: Financial, Paid Staff, Volunteer Staff
Cost: 0-500
Description
Helping Hands at Home is a volunteer programme which supports older people to remain living at home independently and to improve their quality of life in a number of ways: -Practical help & support with housekeeping -Reducing isolation through befriending -Information & Advocacy as needed One of the main hurdles to independent living is the risk of loneliness or isolation: a particular problem at older ages, when decreasing economic resources, mobility impairment and the death of contemporaries conspire to limit social contact
Aim of Initiative
The initiative is aimed at older people living alone, who may not have the family support they need to continue to maintain their home and social interactions
Who is it aimed at
The initiative is aimed at older people living alone, who may not have the family support they need to continue to maintain their home and social interactions
Steps critical to success
- Identifying committed volunteers
- matching volunteers and clients appropriately
- training volunteers to respond to issues and refer appropriately
Challenges in Planning / Delivery
- matching volunteers and clients well to facilitate relationship building
- recruiting volunteers who have the time to commit to a long term role
- Covid restrictions forced us to pause visits
Outcomes / Benefits
- Older people have help to maintain their home as needed
- Older people maintain positive social contact
- Older people have access to information and connection to services
Evaluation / Report:
noevaluationcompleteasyet.seebelowlinktoourannualreporthttps://www.copegalway.ie/wp-content/uploads/2019-cope-galway-annual-report.pdf
Contact:
Website:
https://www.copegalway.ie/ | https://www.copegalway.ie/get-involved/volunteer/helping-hands/