I discovered that most caregivers are actually unpaid family members. I'm a 62male. Retired about 10 years ago. No criminal record. College Degrees. I'm interested volunteering in some way to assist a caregiver.(maybe a day or two a week) someone preforming such duties. Of course on a 100% volunteer and zero expense basis, I retired to my river house in Alabama 10 years ago and can only do so much hunting and fishing. Was wondering if this need exists in my area. If so, I would like to investigate such and would certainly provide any background history to anyone.
And good for you, there are way too few men involved in caregiving!
Good for you for wanting to help! You can really make a difference in someones life.
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.
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!!
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
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.