Program keeps people at home

There's no place like home -- and Catherine Andrews heads a program to make sure people can stay in their homes as long as possible.

"As good as any [senior citizens'] facility can be, it's still not 'home,'" said Ms. Andrews, who worked for 12 years as an administrator in an assisted-living residence. "Home is the little things that you take for granted: a cat or dog that comes up to you, a special clock, a garden."

She is now director of Caring Neighbors, a Catholic Charities program in Delaware and Otsego counties. Its goal is to help elderly, disabled and chronically ill people tackle tasks -- little and large -- so they can stay in their homes for as long as possible.

Caring Neighbors receives funding from the annual Bishop's Appeal, currently underway throughout the Albany Diocese.

Helping hands

"These people can be at home. They just need a helping hand," said Ms. Andrews, a parishioner of St. Mary's Church in Oneonta.

For the most part, care recipients are independent but need assistance with small things: shoveling a driveway; being able to get to the doctor, pharmacy, or grocery store; paying bills; making minor household repairs; and cooking meals.

The recipients are matched with caregivers who have the skills the recipients need: addressing safety issues, such as securing a loose rug on the floor or installing grab bars in the bathroom; providing referrals to other in-home care programs, such as Meals on Wheels; or checking in on elderly people who live in more isolated areas.

In touch

Another essential service provided by Caring Neighbors are friendly visits and telephone reassurances, which are essential social contacts for homebound people.

Frank Degner, 74, who has lived in the Oneonta area his entire life is no longer able to drive. He was referred to the program because he needed someone to take him shopping for groceries.

"If not, I'd starve to death," he quipped.

For the past year, Mr. Degner -- an artist who paints and does engravings -- has been partnered with Peter and Susan Johnson, members of St. Mary's in Oneonta. Each Thursday afternoon, they take him to a grocery store. Sometimes, they add other shops and a doctor's appointment to the list.

Connected

Both sides have found the partnership rewarding.

"It's going pretty good. Everything's going well. I have fun with these folks," said Mr. Degner. "I have somebody to talk to."

"Frank gives a lot to us -- his friendship, his positive attitude," Mrs. Johnson said. "He's just a delightful person. It has been a delight just being with him."

Her husband agreed, saying: "It seemed like a really good idea. I enjoy being with Frank. It's given us a good chance to know him, and that's been a very worthwhile experience."

Personal links

For many volunteers, there's more to Caring Neighbors than just getting in a car, fixing a broken window or picking up the phone for conversation, said Ms. Andrews. There's also a personal connection, a meeting of lives and a creation of new friendships.

"Elderly people have such a rich story to tell about their lives, with what they have done and the changes they have seen," said Mrs. Johnson. "When Frank talks about Oneonta when he was working and when he was younger, I can relate to that. I like to hear those stories."

"These people are strangers [who] get to know one another. I hope that when I get older, there's still people like that in the world," Ms. Andrews said.

(The Caring Neighbors program employs 65 trained volunteers who visit care recipients on a regular basis. Approximately 185 other volunteers -- from colleges, community clubs and high schools -- give their time on a periodic basis. The volunteers serve a total of 100 people.)

(4/29/04) [[In-content Ad]]