Linda Studley knows how painful it is to see an elder struggle with tasks that were once simple.
For five years, she's been helping people help seniors live dignified lives as the co-ordinator of Better at Home. Like any job, there are good days and bad days.
"When you see seniors that are losing their ability to do these simple tasks in their home, it's not a great thing," she said.
"But the good stuff definitely overwhelms that."
Better at Home celebrated its fifth anniversary on Friday. In that time, it has become a model for senior care in British Columbia.
It began as one of five pilot projects of Community Action for Seniors, a partnership between the United Way and the provincial government aimed at helping seniors live independently in their homes for as long as possible.
The program matches volunteers with seniors who wish to live at home but need help with housework, snow removal, lawn mowing and other tasks.
The common denominator is the company, Studley said.
"We match a volunteer with a senior. When we take a volunteer in, we ask a lot of questions, what their interests are, and we try to do the same with the seniors," she said.
"If possible we try to find some matching things, something that might be a common point of reference. We really encourage that, we really encourage them to be a friend."
The program has had 87 volunteers in its five years, and has helped more than 300 seniors. In all, volunteers have racked up 8,933 hours, volunteer co-ordinator Arlene Thorpe said.
The pilot project was so successful that the Better at Home model pioneered in Dawson Creek has spread across B.C., with programs in 67 towns and cities.
The program continues to hunt for volunteers. While the work can be heart wrenching—like when a senior passes away or is forced to move into assisted living—Studley said it's ultimately rewarding.
"We've had some wonderful friendships that have blossomed," she said.
reporter@dcdn.ca
