AKRON, Ohio — Right now, more than 2,600 adults are under guardianship in Summit County alone, and these volunteer visitors check in on their care throughout the year.
“We're excited about the opportunity for our citizens to help our seniors and others who are alone,” said Summit County Probate Judge Elinore Marsh Stormer. “Not only is there the social aspect of it, which we love, but also we get a report from our visitors. The reports from our senior visitors allow us to act quickly so that we can fix that problem before it becomes more of a problem.”
Stormer created the Senior Visitor Program as a way to offer support to guardians and help ensure the needs of vulnerable seniors are being met.
Once volunteers complete a training session, they are asked to visit at least once within the first 30 days, and then one more time throughout the year. But Stormer tells News 5 visits go beyond just once a year.
“The most remarkable thing is that most of our visitors, having visited one person now one visit, two, three, four, five plus people, because they feel like they make a difference and enjoy it tremendously,” said Stormer.
And this little bit of love to seniors in need goes a long way.
“They're [volunteers] going to discover that with a minimal amount of time invested on their part, they're going to get a reward of love and appreciation from a stranger,” said Stormer. “They are a tremendous asset to the court. So everything about it from our perspective is wonderful. And I really think people who choose to do this find it very rewarding.”
The Senior Visitor Program training and information session is taking place Tuesday, Aug. 23 from 4-6 p.m. at Vantage Aging, 388 S. Main St., Suite 325. You can register, here.
Volunteers must be 21 years old, have a current Ohio driver’s license, transportation and successfully complete an application and background check.
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