Senior Companion
Funders
If you serve an older adult aged 55 and older who is in need of companionship, Benjamin Rose Institute on Aging’s Senior Companion Program may be right for them. Our program can connect your participants, clients or residents with a trained peer volunteer who can share a friendly conversation, offer companionship and minimize isolation.
Senior Companion volunteers can help the older adult you serve with:
- Running occasional errands
- Staying engaged in enjoyable activities at home or in the local community
- Light meal preparation
Prior to entering an older adult’s home, Senior Companion volunteers receive extensive training and education on:
- Responding to crises
- Communication protocols
- Recognizing the signs of elder abuse, self-neglect and exploitation
- Reporting potential abuse to Adult Protective Services
Below is a list of residential facilities and organizations in the Greater Cleveland area where our trained Senior Companion volunteers are located.
To receive a Senior Companion, the older adult you serve must be a current resident at:
| Site Name | Site Liaison | Phone Number |
| RH Myers | Tamera Ellis | (216) 831-6515 |
| Stone Gardens Assisted Living | Maria Viñas | (216) 831-5452 |
Or, to receive a Senior Companion, you or your loved one must be receiving services from:
| Site Name | Site Liaison | Phone Number |
| Benjamin Rose Institute on Aging | Todd Simmons | (216) 373-1751 |
| City of Euclid: Euclid Senior Center | Bob Payne | (216) 289-2985 |
| McGregor PACE (East) McGregor Pace (West) McGregor PACE at Langston Hughes Center |
Karen Lisy | (216) 202-1650 |
| Paul W. Alandt Rose Center for Aging Well | Beth Sipple | (216) 373-1751 |
| Western Reserve Area Agency on Aging | Karen Bauer | (216) 539-9266 |
If you know an older adult over the age of 55 living in the Greater Cleveland area who would be interested in becoming a Senior Companion to help isolated older adults in the community, please visit our Volunteer page for more information.
Become a Volunteer Station
Volunteer stations are locations where our Senior Companion volunteers can provide supportive, individualized services to help older adults with special needs maintain their dignity and independence. Senior Companions are not assigned to nursing homes or other long-term care facilities. However, if a participant currently matched with a Senior Companion is relocated to such a facility, the volunteer may continue to serve them during short-term stays in the facility, or assist with transitioning the participant over a 30-day period to help get them comfortable within long-term care.
Examples of volunteer stations include the following:
- Home health care agencies
- Public health departments, including clinics
- Private non-profit or proprietary health agencies
- Public and private non-profit social services and mental health agencies and associations
- Rehabilitation associations and centers
- Senior centers and multi-purpose centers
If your organization is interested in becoming a volunteer station, use the below contact information for Todd Simmons to schedule an introductory meeting. An annual station fee may apply.
Volunteer Station Forms
If you serve as a volunteer station to the Senior Companion Program, the forms located on the left of this page must be completed. Upon completion, fax to (216) 373-1814. Forms will not be accepted from individuals or organizations other than approved volunteer stations.
Partners:
The Senior Companion Program provides programming and volunteer orientation support in partnership with the City of Cleveland Department of Aging and Hospice of the Western Reserve.
For more information about the Benjamin Rose Institute on Aging Senior Companion Program, or to learn more about becoming a volunteer station, please contact Todd Simmons at (216) 373-1751.