Baltimore County, MD Time of Your LIfe, 4 Nov 2022

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From YouTube: Learn About the Home Team Program at the Baltimore County Department of Aging.

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Danielle Singley, Program Manager, Home Team
Baltimore County Department of Aging

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Welcome back to the time of your life., I'm your host, ethel, rasmussen., danielle singley, program manager of the home team program at baltimore county department of aging is our next guest to continue.

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Our volunteer theme show for this edition of the time of your life.

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Danielle, welcome to the show.

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Hi, thank you, ethel.. It's a pleasure to be here. Today.

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Can you share information about this wonderful program and the population it serves?.

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Sure., the home team is.

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A wonderful countywide volunteer program of the baltimore county department of aging.

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It has existed for more than 30 years and it's free to eligible baltimore county residents.

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It utilizes volunteers to assist older adults who are age 60 years or more live in.

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Baltimore county in their own private home and who are home-bound and either socially isolated, and/or food insecure.

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It helps them with remaining as independent in their home for as long as possible.

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Our volunteers provide typically weekly one-hour friendly visits.

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To older adults who are experiencing loneliness for the purposes of social engagement,.

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And well-being checks and through our food agent, program,.

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Our volunteers deliver items available at partnering, food pantries.

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Such as fresh fruits and vegetables, canned foods,.

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Toiletries, or anything that's available to those older adults that.

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Are in our program, who are both transportation and food? Insecure.

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If they also reside and inter-generational families,, we also often deliver food to those individuals as well as long as they're, also transportation insecure and are in need.

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Danielle, is the home team program unique to baltimore county?.

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Yes, it is. the program is very unique to baltimore county..

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Other jurisdictions may also have a form of friendly visiting programs, however,.

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The home team is a unique model and that the staff do both the client assessment process and.

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The volunteer recruitment and the placements, which is really important.

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Because what that allows our staff to do is make really meaningful and effective placements..

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We really pride ourselves in trying to personalize our placements.

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I would think it's best for both the client and the volunteer that the placement is meaningful for both.

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That is one aspect that makes the friendly visiting program very unique.

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Then also the food agent program is something that actually started in 2015 and was.

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A result of seeing that many of our older adults were having trouble accessing free, food,.

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Which actually proved to be very helpful during the covid-19 pandemic.

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The food agent program prior to 2015 hadn't existed in.

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Baltimore county and in anywhere else in the area.

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To answer your question, yes. very unique to baltimore county. we're very proud of what we do.. We hope that, if you're interested in helping other older adults.

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Or people in your community that you submit an application to assist.

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What type of assistance does a home team volunteer? Provide?.

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Many of the older adults served in a friendly visiting program are very lonely.

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They are home-bound,, they live in their own homes and perhaps their adult children have moved out of state,.

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Or they're just having trouble accessing senior, centers or other places of recreation.

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Our volunteers provide the needed social engagement,, the well-being,.

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And assurances many older adults need to feel.

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Safe and to provide meaning interactions in the home.

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Typically, those friendly visits are weekly for one hour,.

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But volunteer is oftentimes because they really enjoy what they're doing.

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We'll go more than an hour a week..

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Sometimes they even do up to five hours, a week,. If they're available.

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The food agents provide supplemental food deliveries from food pantries., typically monthly.

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It is very different from meals on wheels in that we are only providing,.

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Again, supplementary items that are available at food pantries.

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Actually, if you have meals on wheels, also, you can qualify for the food agent program..

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This is incredibly helpful to people regularly,.

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But especially again during periods when we're having difficulties accessing foods.

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It was especially helpful during the covid-19 pandemic, when many stores were.

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Closed and older adults who are disproportionately affected by covid-19 were shut in.

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Danielle,, can you talk about the many ways.

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Home team volunteers makes such a difference in the community with the support they offer?.

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Sure. we talked about the many ways home team volunteers, provide regular volunteer, service.

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However, during this time of year, the holiday season,.

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We also provide opportunities for our regular volunteers as.

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Well, as group volunteers who wish to adopt a senior.

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Or a family to deliver gifts during.

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The holiday season, and/or gift baskets and food baskets during thanksgiving.

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If you're interested in that,, you would simply contact our office, we'll provide that information at the end of our segment and try to get you.

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Paired up with one or more families or older adults, so.

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That you can assist with them and visit with them and provide.

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Opportunities for them to also experience the joy of the holiday season.

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We also work with assisted living facilities., one in particular springwell senior living in mount washington. Special. Shout out to that group.-.

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They actually create holiday birthday cards.

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And act as pen-pals for many of our older adults in the community,.

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They do that on a regular basis, and our older adults really enjoy that.

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for those interested in volunteering with the home team. Program,.

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Can you share the criteria for being a volunteer and perhaps some of the benefits?.

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Sure. to volunteer,.

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You must successfully complete an application,, an interview,, a background check and an orientation.

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You also must be 18 years of age or more and agree.

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To volunteering for a minimum of six months, one year, preferred.

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I want to say that because our older adults,.

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The people that we serve, are very lonely..

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We do ask that people who are serious about volunteering with us commit to that placement.

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Because it can be devastating when they form a relationship with someone and the person doesn't show up.

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That's the very bare minimum., then, during our orientation in our placement, process,.

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We do try to get to know who the volunteer is and what unique skill sets they might bring to the table.

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We do serve as a full spectrum of older adults..

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Some people may simply be lonely, and some people may come with more complex needs.

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If you do have the experience of working in social work,,.

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Your skill set would be very helpful with serving some of our older adults.

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But if not,, if you're, just wanting to give up your personality and your time,.

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We have a placement for you as well. danielle,, to learn more about.

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Bcda's home team program or to receive friendly visits as a home team recipient,.

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Who is the contact? well,? You can contact me,, danielle singley.

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I'm the program manager, of course., then you can also contact anyone in the home team office at 410-887-4141.

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Our office assistant lola would be happy to take your call.

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And walk you through the process of becoming a volunteer.

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You can also email us at hometeam@baltimorecountymd.gov.

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closing,. Would you like to add any additional information?.

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Sure., I just want to say that I'm personally very proud of our program.

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It's a pleasure whenever I hear the meaningful interactions, our clients,.

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Our families in the community, who are so grateful to have volunteers such as yourselves.

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Who give of their time and their efforts and their talents to help older adults who are often forgotten.

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They're, the ones who are in the home.

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we do our best to outreach..

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If you don't do anything else, today,, if you don't want to volunteer,, I ask you to please tell people about our program.

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Danielle,, thank you for being on.

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Today's show to share information about bcda's, home team program.

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You're welcome. thank you for having me. we're going to take a short break when we return,.

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Learn about exciting parties and other special events at bcda's, 21 senior, centers.