Senior companion program needs more volunteers

COEUR d'ALENE - Charles Williams is tired of being lonely. The 69-year-old Coeur d'Alene man lives alone, homebound with diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder, prostate cancer and herniated discs. It has been an increasingly isolated existence for Williams, by himself in the same small apartment for 13 years. "I've outlasted my whole family, and I was the youngest," he said. He's frustrated that there are no services available to provide some companionship for people like himself. "What I would like to see happen is not only for me, but for all shut-ins in Coeur d'Alene, to have somebody who cares, someone who can come over to talk, play checkers, cards or watch a movie. I get tired of watching them by myself," Williams said. The Senior Companions program, managed by the Panhandle Health District, does provide the kind of service Williams is looking for. Age 60 and older, Senior Companion volunteers go out into the community, providing friendship and socialization for the homebound. But there are 60 people on a waiting list for the volunteer service. Tami Johnson, coordinator of the program, said there are currently 70 Senior Companion volunteers in the state's five northern counties. In 2008, the program had 81 volunteers. "It ebbs and flows, but when volunteers leave the program, it's usually because they are aging out and because of health issues have had to stop," Johnson said. "One of the reasons we have fallen into a lack of volunteers is because our seniors are still looking for things to supplement their income." Volunteers do receive a small stipend of $2.65 per hour, but that's just to offset their volunteer costs, Johnson said. "You're not going to get rich off this program, but you'll feel needed and have a sense of service," she said. "I have a list of individuals who are pretty unique, pretty awesome." Another reason Charles Williams might be in for a longer wait to get to the top of the Senior Companion waiting list is his gender. The men and women who volunteer are usually matched with homebound clients of the same sex, Johnson said, and there are a greater number of women who serve as senior companions. There are no other local agencies with programs that provide companionship to senior shut-ins, other than churches that help care for their members, said Pearl Bouchard, director of North Idaho's Area Agency on Aging, Williams' church did send a group out to read the Bible with him, but he feels like even they have forgotten him. "They came once. I never saw them again," he said. With senior services already feeling the pinch of government budget cuts, it's unlikely there will be more companion services any time soon. Bouchard said there are more than 600 people statewide on waiting lists for other services provided through aging agencies like hers. "The other alternative for someone like that (Williams) is to go into assisted living, but that's not real affordable for some," Bouchard said. With just $700 per month income, Williams won't be moving from his small, subsidized apartment anytime soon. A home care aide comes in to help Williams take care of his daily needs and prepare his meals, but that's not companionship, he said. "That kind of interaction is the most important thing," Williams said. "I can't believe there's nobody out there." For more information, call Senior Companions, Panhandle Health District: 415-5177.