My 91-year-old grandmother is in assisted living. She lives 300+ miles from me and has health problems. She is also depressed and unable to get around like she used to. I'm trying to locate a group who visits shut-ins on a regular basis so that she could have more social interaction with the outside world. I know that hospice groups provide this type of service, but since she isn't terminally ill, she doesn't qualify. I think that having someone visit her for a few minutes on a regular basis would help her spirits by giving her something to look forward to. Any ideas or help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

AND if you can get those computer hook-ups Casey mentions, you could do a lot worse that get the residents involved in an online community! Think of the opportunities for conversation and support online that are not dependent on any f2f activity.

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Puffin

Many Senior Citizen centers have a group of senior volunteers that go visit LOs. You may also check with the facility she is in and see if they have any additional services where someone can come and give your grandma some extra care

Many high schools (especially Catholic schools and private academies) require students to perform some type of community service as part of their curriculum. Perhaps you can contact the school district and other schools to raise the issue. Be sure to speak with the facility administration to work out the details and to avoid stepping on toes.

Also, you may see if the facility has computer terminals (believe it or not, many do). You can help to set up free email accounts (use Hotmail.com) for the residents and then have the school kids regularly email them...

jlamb, are there service or church organizations in your area who might include her in some visitations? You might check with your local ARC (Association of Retired Citizens) or social services offices to see if they know of such groups.

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Puffin