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The National Senior Service Corps is part of the service network of the Corporation for National Service.

The Senior Companion Program pairs individuals 60 and over with seniors and other people who have difficulty with daily living tasks.

Through their assistance and friendship, Senior Companions help others live independently in their homes rather than having to move to expensive, institutional care. Senior Companions assist clients with paying bills, grocery shopping, and finding transportation to medical appointments. They offer contact with the outside world and help make the lives of the people they serve less lonely. Today, approximately 12,000 Senior Companions are serving 37,000 individuals in communities across the United States.

Requirements and Benefits

Senior Companions are at least 60 years old, meet income eligibility requirements, and serve two or four clients during their twenty hours of service each week. They must participate in pre-service orientation and in training workshops throughout their service.

In exchange for their service, Senior Companions receive modest tax-free stipends, reimbursement for transportation, meals during service, annual physical exami-nations, and accident and liability insurance while on duty. Senior Companions begin serving once they have completed 40 hours of pre-service orientation training. Another four hours of training each month is required.

Partnerships

Local public and private nonprofit agencies receive grants to sponsor and operate Senior Companion projects. Community organizations that address health needs of the elderly (such as hospitals, centers on aging, and home health care agencies) can apply to be Senior Companion volunteer stations. Volunteer stations identify individuals who need assistance and then work with Senior Companion projects to match them with available Senior Companions. Interested organizations should contact their area Senior Companion project or the Senior Corps information line at 1-800-424-8867.

Senior Companions: A Smart Investment

• The Senior Companion Program's fiscal 1996 federal budget of $31 million was supplemented by $ 18.8 million in cash and in-kind donations from the states and local communities, representing a nonfederal match of 61 cents for every federal dollar invested-well over the 10 percent match required by law.
• Senior Companions serve through almost 200 projects sponsored and managed by local nonprofit agencies in all50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands. Several of these programs are supported totally by nonfederal funds.
• The estimated value of Senior Companions' service is nearly $150 million-a five-fold return on federal dollars invested in the program.
• The annual cost of nursing home care in the United States exceeds $38,000 annually. The annual federal cost for one Senior Companion serving 20 hours per week is $3,850.

The Senior Corps

The Senior Corps is a network of programs that help older Americans find opportunities to address community needs through service. The Senior Corps includes the Senior Companion Program, the Foster Grandparent Program, and the Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP). Together, these programs involve more than a half million seniors in tens of thousands of sites across the country.

Senior Corps information:
1-800-424-8867
TDD: 1-800-833-3722

JuIy 1997
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Corporation for National Service 1201 New York Avenue, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20525
Phone: 202-606-5000
www.cns.gov

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