Older Adults Assistance

Our Older Adults programs focus on sustained social interactions for overall personal well-being and keeping aging individuals safely in their home settings.

Programs

Foster Grandparent Program

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Foster Grandparents are volunteers who provide support to children with special and exceptional needs to improve their academic, social, or emotional development. Foster Grandparents help children learn to read and provide one-on-one tutoring. Volunteers spend between 5 and 40 hours per week in the program under the supervision of a teacher or center director.

Foster Grandparents serve at the following partnering sites: Buffalo Public Schools, charter or parochial schools, educational-based preschool programs, youth homeless shelters and select after-school programs.

Eligible adults must be age 55 or older, live in Erie County and meet income guidelines.

Benefits include making a difference in the life of a child, a small stipend, partial transportation and meal reimbursement, volunteer insurance, and monthly trainings.

For more information or to request an application, please call (716) 896-6388.

Friendly Phones

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Friendly Phones is a free volunteer service for homebound and/or disabled individuals who are 60 and older and living in Genesee and Orleans counties. Volunteers with Friendly Phones provide regular telephone calls to check on the well-being of these individuals and to provide them the opportunity to socialize with a caring volunteer.

If you are interested in becoming a volunteer or a Friendly Phones member to receive telephone calls, please call (585) 343-0614.

Home Visitation

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The Home Visitation Program offers weekly visits to homebound older adults in Genesee and Orleans counties who are 60 years of age or older with a limited ability to get out of their homes. The goal is to bring a sense of social connectivity and friendship to both the program member and the volunteer.

Program volunteers make a weekly visit to the home of an older adult, stay connected with the member’s loved ones and participate with the member in hobbies and crafts. Volunteers often find a rich sense of fulfillment with the knowledge they are offering friendship.

Services are free to older adults, along with linkage and referrals to agencies that offer other services. The program has a flexible visitation schedule, and all volunteers are screened, trained and supervised.

For more information, or to express interest in receiving visits or becoming a volunteer, please call (585) 343-0614.

Project HOPE (Helping Older People Excel)

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Project HOPE provides services to keep an older adult with a mental health diagnosis independent in their home environment through linkage, referral, advocacy and intervention with formal and informal supports.

Services include, but are not limited to, engagement via telephone and in-person contacts including home visits, comprehensive assessment, linkage, referral and advocacy, systems navigation and assistance in obtaining entitlements, as well as support and guidance for family and caregivers. Participants must be 60 years of age or older, have at least one documented mental health diagnosis and be in need of services to minimize risk for out of home placement.

For more information, please call (716) 431-6630.

Care Coordination Services Referral Form

Telephone Assurance Program

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The Telephone Assurance Program (TAP) is a free volunteer service for Erie County residents that provides regular telephone calls to homebound and/or disabled persons ages 60 and older to check on their well-being. The program also offers socialization by telephone with a caring volunteer.

TAP is funded through a grant from the Erie County Department of Senior Services and the New York State Office for Aging.

If you are interested in applying to be a volunteer (make calls) or a TAP member to receive telephone calls, please call (716) 262-6164.