By Judith Graham November 11, 2019 at 7:30 a.m. EST
Imagine a government program that would mobilize volunteers to help older adults across the nation age in place. One is on the way.
The Administration for Community Living, part of the Department of Health and Human Services, is taking steps to establish a National Volunteer Care Corps.
If it’s successful, healthy retirees and young adults would take seniors to doctor appointments, shop for groceries, shovel snowy sidewalks, make a bed or mop the floor, or simply visit a few times a week.
Older adults would not only get a hand with household tasks but also companionship and relief from social isolation. And family caregivers could get a break.
Younger volunteers might get class credit at a community college or small stipends. Older volunteers could enjoy a satisfying sense of purpose.
The need is enormous, as the ranks of the oldest Americans — age 85 and up, who tend to have…
This article was sourced from The Washington Post.