What Can Volunteering With Hearts & Hands Do For Older Adults In Your Neighborhood?

Demographic trends show that Erie County will become a significantly older community in the next few decades. The United States Census Bureau predicts that older adults will outnumber children by 2035. Erie County has a greater percentage of older adults than the national average. There are currently 155,817 adults 65 years or older in Erie County, one-third of whom have a disability and 8.8 percent of our seniors live in poverty. Older adults are vulnerable to social isolation due to the death friends and family, mobility challenges, and physical disadvantages. Erie County can become accessible to people of all ages. (Older Adults | Live Well Erie)

Volunteering with Hearts & Hands helps older adults stay in the home of their choice, while remaining as independent as possible. Taking the time to drive an older adult to an appointment, social gathering, etc. helps them get to where they need to be without always relying on a family member or friend. Visiting with them over coffee, dinner, a movie, or a board game can help drastically reduce the chances of social isolation. Our light in-home services help our older adults with various tasks around the home that they could no longer do themselves, including some light organization, yardwork, etc. All our services ensure that our older adult care receivers uphold their dignity, improve their quality of life, enhance their ability to live in their primary home of choice, and to assist their caregivers. You can help your neighbors Live Well by volunteering at volunteerhnh.org or calling (716) 406-8311.

Audra shares how Hearts & Hands has increased her ability to Live Well Erie.

“I started using Hearts and Hands this year, it has been really useful to get back and forth to doctors’ appointments, extra-curricular activities, and vet appointments. It has been hard for me to find people to help me get to the places that I need to go, so I was so thankful to be referred to Hearts & Hands. The volunteers have all been awesome and have never made feel like I am an inconvenience, they are always a pleasure to visit with.”