The National Council on Aging celebrated National Senior Center Month in September highlighting how such venues improve the lives of older adults. With the help of AmeriCorps members like Delray Beach resident Elinor Goldman, MorseLife Health Systems offers seniors with chronic care needs social engagement through Programs of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) which MorseLife’s provides at PACE centers throughout Palm Beach County.
Prior to moving to Florida in 2011, Goldman served as the director of the RSVP program in Atlantic County, New Jersey where she oversaw 500 senior volunteers. Today, Elinor volunteers four days a week as a member of the AmeriCorps program.
In addition to conducting bingo and helping the program participants prepare for lunch and other activities at a PACE Center, Goldman provides companionship to seniors in their homes.
“One of the people I visit is interested in the theater and I kept all my Playbills from New York which I am sharing with her,” Goldman said. “She’s giving me recipes and teaching me how to knit.”
MorseLife Health System and AmeriCorps, the federal agency for national service and volunteerism, recruit and train year-round Palm Beach County residents 55 years and older to provide support for homebound older adults. The volunteers encourage independence and alleviate feelings of isolation while providing respite for caregivers.
“I saw an ad in the paper for volunteers and I called them up,” Goldman said. “I think it is wonderful for the volunteers and the people we serve. Everyone is so appreciative of everything you do and, in turn, that makes you feel good.”
