Advocacy: How to Be a Friend For Seniors in Need

By Beverly Nelson

One of the blessings of modern-day living is a longer lifespan, but it can also mean struggling with some of the basics of daily life. When seniors don’t have family members close by, some concerns can become particularly challenging. Friends and neighbors often feel called to help but aren’t always sure how. 

Whether you want to help them connect with necessary services, ensure their safety and security, introduce them to technology, or help keep them socially connected, The John Humphrey Centre for Peace and Human Rights shares these tips to get started.

Connect Them with Helpful Services

From meal delivery to public transportation, there are plenty of ways to help a senior in your life get the services they need. 

  1. Public Transportation Options for Seniors

  2. The 7 Best Meal Delivery Services for Seniors

Safety Concerns

When it comes to safety, seniors are especially vulnerable. So consider these resources to help the senior in your life. 

  1. Elderly Fraud Scams: How They’re Being Targeted and How to Prevent It

  2. Senior Home Safety: Avoiding Common Senior Accidents

Budget Concerns

Especially for seniors on a fixed income, managing money can often be a struggle. So a little help will be greatly appreciated; just remember that for some, this can also be a source of embarrassment, so handle it delicately.

  1. 6 Essential Tips for Living on a Fixed Income

  2. How Medicaid Can Help with Medical Expenses for Seniors

Keep Them Socially Connected

Seniors need to stay engaged and active to ward off the effects of isolation.

  1. Is your senior thinking of relocating? Here’s How to Prepare Your House for Sale

  2. Help Them Connect with Local Programs for Seniors

  3. Four Ways that Attending Church Can Improve the Lives of Seniors

  4. Seniors Staying Connected via Skype or Facetime

The world is filled with kind-hearted people who understand the need for community and genuinely want to help seniors, but don’t necessarily know how to go about it. If you feel called to help a senior in your life or in the general community, you do have options. Look through these resources for practical tips and information so you can lend a helping hand.

Neximar Alarcon