Home Safety Program Evaluation Volunteer

Health Advocates for Older People promotes safe and healthy aging through programs and services designed to support physical well-being and social connection for older adults in New York City. We offer wellness classes, social activities, tech and errand help and home safety services as described below. All services are free of charge.

We are seeking a speaking volunteer to work with us for one to two hours per week to assist with our outcomes evaluation for our Home Safety and Fall Prevention Program. Knowing that falls at home can have a major impact for older adults, Health Advocates staff conduct in home consultations to identify safety improvements such as adding grab bars, better lighting, bathroom safety items, or sturdy furniture. We then provide follow-up support where we can to assist individuals with installing or purchasing these items.

We recently developed an evaluation questionnaire to assess whether participants are completing the recommended modifications/improvements and whether these items are helping to prevent falls. It has been a challenge for our current staff to keep up with these calls. To this end, we are looking for a volunteer who can support staff working on this program.

The volunteer responsibilities include:

• • Learn about the Home Safety and Fall Prevention Program
  • Gain familiarity with the consultation process and the program forms
  • Call older adults to complete the outcome questionnaires over the phone; typically phone calls last 10-15 minutes
  • Leave polite, clear messages when the older adult does not initially answer the phone (we provide a script)
  • During calls, input information into a Google Form
  • Use an Excel spreadsheet to track calls

Required Skills are:

• • Interest in working with and helping older adults
  • Ability to communicate clearly via email
  • Familiarity with Word, Excel and Google Forms a plus, training can be provided
  • Strong listening and verbal communication skills
  • Reliable and dependable
  • Access to a computer

The volunteer work would need to take place during the M-F work week and regular business day of 9-5 and otherwise can take place at the volunteer’s convenience. We expect this project to take one to two hours per week depending on the volume of calls and need to leave messages. The ideal candidate for this role is a retired social worker or educator looking for a meaningful volunteer role with real significance for a nonprofit or for a college or graduate student looking for hands on research experience. We are happy to consider a stipend or to work with academic institutions and provide letters for college or graduate level credit.