How can I volunteer to help senior citizens with their housework and yard work ?
The_Humble_Frog asked:
I want to help senior citizens with chores that they’re getting too old to do for themselves, like their housework, yard work, mowing lawns, and gardening . Where do I begin ? How do I find senior citizens who need my help ?
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I want to help senior citizens with chores that they’re getting too old to do for themselves, like their housework, yard work, mowing lawns, and gardening . Where do I begin ? How do I find senior citizens who need my help ?
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May 2nd, 2010 at 12:34 am
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Fill out an application in senior citizens apartments, assited living, nursing homes, homes for the aged and the like. Or you can make your own flyers and pass them along in senior area.
May 4th, 2010 at 10:41 am
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Do you have a church? Put it on the bulletin board and have it announced. Just tell it around in your family and friends. It will
spread. I admire you so much. There is such a great need for
this sort of thing. Since the ice storm there are many elderly
sitting around wondering how to get the limbs and brush cleaned
up in their yard. I saw a thank you in the paper a few days ago
where a lady came home from a full day at the doctors and some
one had cleaned her yard.
May 6th, 2010 at 5:32 pm
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nursing homes and assisted living have all of that stuff taken care of for them, I used to work in one. You should contact a home health agency, where they have nurses and nurse aides go to people’s homes. See if there are any needs that can be met.
Also, contact churches and see if there is anyone elderly in the church who needs some help.
Walk around residential neighborhoods. I live in suburbs in PA and there are several old people on my street
May 6th, 2010 at 11:48 pm
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Every town and city has a senior center or something like it. Usually they have boards available to post on or staff there that can help. I used to volunteer for 5 years and I found it very rewarding. Many times they would rather have you sit and listen then mow their lawn.
The need out there is great so expect many requests if you put out your information. Also you will sometimes get people who take advantage of you and either don’t need your help or don’t appreciate it. Being giving and kind is a wonderful thing, but you will find you will last longer doing this if you help those who appreciate you and what your doing.
The last piece of advice in this is expectations. Helping becomes more than just volunteering. You will add many people to your list of friends and this is apart of what is so rewarding, but these friends of yours will die and you will find yourself powerless to do anything about it. Sometimes it is expected or sudden. I came to a Friends house just to find his grieving family there instead. That is apart of why I could not do it longer than 5 years. I couldn’t take the loss any longer.
I think your idea is wonderful and I wish you luck. You will find your life blessed in ways you hadn’t imagined in a very short period of time.
May 9th, 2010 at 10:59 am
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I would say put an ad in the newspaper, or if your community has senior citizen housing, go there and put up a notice. You could do both and get a better response. Or/And you could make up fliers and take them around to mailboxes (just don’t put them INSIDE the mailbox, as that is against the law). Good luck…you have a great heart. This world needs more of that in these trying times.
May 10th, 2010 at 1:20 am
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You could start off in your own neighborhood. Go door to door and offer services. Be upfront about whether or not you expect to be paid and if you don’t be prepared to give a decent answer as to why not. Even being elderly, people don’t like to be tricked and a lot of them are leery of free help as it’s very hard to find people who actually want to help for any reason these days.
If you live in apartments or in a neighborhood with very few elderly people, call a church and ask them if they have a program you can join that does this. With most, you don’t have to be an actual member to give of your time. They may even have members who request help.
If you live in a large area, there may be an actual apartment complex filled with people on fixed incomes and a good majority of them will be elderly. Call around and see if it’s possible to become a regular there amongst the residents, ask if there are others who do the whole free housework thing and if you could maybe meet up with them for tips. There may already be a church group doing this and you could join them.
Your area may also have a senior citizens center. This is a place for seniors who are still active enough to gather together and play games and go out to eat. Call and ask the manager if she thinks anyone there could use the services and if it would be possible for you to drop off some flyers for her to either hand out to members or to hang around the room.
Be prepared for an onslaught of people who think you are after something and be ready to stand your ground with decent reasons as to why you want to do this.
Once you strike up a few good relationships, word will spread and you will get more people requesting your time.
You may even want to consider making some sort of a business card. You can buy supplies at any computer stationary place and make them on your own or, if you are thrifty like I was right ater high school, use your leftover name cards (those things you bought and traded with friends for some reason!) and write your information on the back or make labels to stick to the backs.
If you do end up getting paid - if they insist on giving you money - be careful how you spend it. Don’t buy flashy jewelry or name brand clothing with it. Save it up and use it for something good, maybe even something for them. If Mrs. Williams’ rose bushes died the year before and she can’t afford to buy more…buy them for her and help her plant them. That will solidify that you really do just want to help.
May 13th, 2010 at 3:12 am
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I would go to the churches’ b/c many Senior Citizens’ are on the Meals On Wheels program tell them that you want to help also go to Senior center talk to the coordinator there Good luck to you
May 16th, 2010 at 11:38 am
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door to door my friend if you see a elderly man mowing his lawn and takes a break every 10 seconds than maybe stop and help him be careful some times they don’t want help and will hit you with there cane