In person, by phone or from a pen-pal. Friendly visiting is available on a schedule that is determined by the client and the volunteer. Most in-home visits occur weekly or monthly for approximately one hour. Phone visitation provides an opportunity to visit, as well as, check on a senior's well-being. This may be done weekly or less often, as agreed on by both the volunteer and the client.
Pen-pal correspondence is provided through the Adopt-A-Grandparent program, matching groups of individuals or students with seniors interested in receiving friendly correspondence. This is generally one greeting per month with no expectation of a reply from the client. Additional greetings are sent during the Christmas holiday season.
Request Services
People 65 and over living at home in Howard County, IN are eligible for free help from Samaritan Caregivers. Eligibility is determined without regard to income, ethnicity, religious affiliation or any other distinction. The availability of services may be limited due to volunteers, the pandemic, or economic factors.
Services include:
Companionship
Transportation
For appointments, shopping, banking, errands, etc. Because this is the most popular service provided by Samaritan Caregiver volunteers, rides are limited to one trip per client per week. Each trip may include several destinations. Rides are to be received by Wednesday for the following week and are limited to only destinations in Howard County. Phone confirmation of trip arrangements are made by Friday to finalize rides for the next week.
In the event that there are no drivers available, the client will be notified by Friday, so they can reschedule their trip or make alternate plans. Due to the limited number of volunteers available to drive, there are no guarantees of a ride. Preference is given to medical appointments when staff is prioritizing rides.
In the event that there are no drivers available, the client will be notified by Friday, so they can reschedule their trip or make alternate plans. Due to the limited number of volunteers available to drive, there are no guarantees of a ride. Preference is given to medical appointments when staff is prioritizing rides.
Personal Shopper
Take care of shopping for a homebound individual. When a person is unable to leave home, it becomes necessary for volunteers to shop for them. This service is provided on a regular or as-needed basis, with the volunteer taking responsibility for obtaining the client's shopping list and resources needed to purchase the items. They shop and return with the items, taking time to visit.
Handyman
Volunteers occasionally provide easy upkeep activities, however, the homeowner is responsible for providing the materials for the job. Student groups are available in Fall for seasonal lawn care projects, ie leaf raking.
Food Pantry
Essential items from a local food pantry picked up by a Samaritan Caregivers volunteer serving as a proxy for a homebound person.
This service is provided on a monthly basis. Pantries include: Rescue Mission, Food Finders Senior Grocery Program, Crossroads Community Church, Russiaville United Methodist Church, St. Lukes United Methodist Church, Greentown Meridian Christian & St. Vincent DePaul. Staff determines pantry assignments based on location, need, and availability of volunteer proxies.
This service is provided on a monthly basis. Pantries include: Rescue Mission, Food Finders Senior Grocery Program, Crossroads Community Church, Russiaville United Methodist Church, St. Lukes United Methodist Church, Greentown Meridian Christian & St. Vincent DePaul. Staff determines pantry assignments based on location, need, and availability of volunteer proxies.
SHIP (State Health Insurance Assistance Program)
Approximately 200 Hoosier baby boomers are turning 65 every day. The number of people who are new to Medicare is increasing. So where can they all go for help understanding Medicare and all of the options that come along with it?
The State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) is a free and impartial counseling program for people with Medicare. SHIP is a program of the Indiana Department of Insurance that provides health insurance counseling for Medicare beneficiaries.
Samaritan Caregivers is now an official SHIP site where you can go for assistance with your Medicare questions.
SHIP sites are staffed by volunteer counselors who have completed intensive training to offer free and objective assistance in complete confidence. With more than 100 SHIP sites throughout the state of Indiana, a SHIP counselor is never far away from those who need assistance.
For more information or to schedule an appointment, call SHIP at Samaritan Caregivers at (765) 453-7611
The State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) is a free and impartial counseling program for people with Medicare. SHIP is a program of the Indiana Department of Insurance that provides health insurance counseling for Medicare beneficiaries.
Samaritan Caregivers is now an official SHIP site where you can go for assistance with your Medicare questions.
SHIP sites are staffed by volunteer counselors who have completed intensive training to offer free and objective assistance in complete confidence. With more than 100 SHIP sites throughout the state of Indiana, a SHIP counselor is never far away from those who need assistance.
For more information or to schedule an appointment, call SHIP at Samaritan Caregivers at (765) 453-7611
SMP (Senior Medicare Patrol)
Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries prevent, detect and report health care fraud. They not only protect older persons, they also help preserve the integrity of the Medicare and Medicaid programs.
Persons interested in obtaining assistance from Samaritan Caregivers may complete the form listed below or contact the office to determine eligibility for services.
During the initial home visit, staff will determine whether or not Samaritan Caregivers will be able to provide no-cost in-home support. If the person is accepted as a client, the person will be eligible to receive help as volunteer assistance is available. This varies widely with the type of assistance requested. Transportation may be available almost immediately.
If the person is not accepted as a client, they will be provided with additional community resources appropriate to his/her unique situation.
Samaritan Caregivers volunteers are not available for personal care, medication reminders, meal preparation or housekeeping. When these services are requested, information about additional community resources is provided.
Persons interested in receiving free assistance from Samaritan Caregivers may complete the form at the bottom of this page. Use the Contact Us tab for information to reach Samaritan Caregivers by phone, e-mail or in person.