Phone volunteers sought to call senior citizens

The Call and Care Program of the Area Agency on Aging of Central Texas invites individuals interested in serving as volunteers with the program to contact the agency.

Volunteers make regularly scheduled calls, from their own homes, to seniors and caregivers in the area who are homebound or otherwise socially isolated.

This is a free service to communities for anyone 60 years of age or older.

Clients may be completely or partially homebound but they all have one thing in common: a need to be remembered and checked on to reassure them that everything is okay.

Volunteers will be trained how to respond to clients and to share what resources are available in the community.

Statistics show that 77 percent of families are caring for their loved one in the home, and 93 percent of adults ages 75 and older live in the community.

"This shows a need for both the caregiver and the one that is being cared for," said Debby Adams of the Area Agency on Aging. "There is also a need for someone who does not have family to care for them to have their well-being and safety checked on regularly. It also provides an opportunity to make new friendships."

To volunteer or for more information, contact Ms. Adams in Belton at (800) 447-7169, ext. 2337, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.