PRIME SEASON
Helping hands Sometimes an elderly person doesn’t need a nursing home – just someone to help with getting groceries or to go to a medical appointment. Michael J. DeCicco
Those are the unique and specialized services the Coastal Neighbors Network provides to residents of Dartmouth and Westport. The goal, Executive Director Andy Pollock explained, is to help people in the aging community (ages 50 and up) stay at home. The network consists of volunteers who provide services that range from small tasks around the house to transportation to social connections, visits, and special events. Launched in 2017, the network is now up to 120 “members” and a total of 80 local volunteers serving them. This service staff ranges in age from their 50s to their 90s and are fully vetted and CORI-checked to make sure they are all trustworthy and each member being assisted is safe. Members are charged a small fee, which
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Pollock said helps pay for insurance and administration. But people under a prescribed income level only pay $165 a year. The cost for any other individual is $660 for the year, but no additional costs
“What’s far more rewarding is the relationships that develop. These are interesting people to know – fascinating, wonderful people.”
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are charged for any services after that. “It’s quite affordable considering the amount of services you get,” Pollock said. He offers anecdotes galore on how well the service works. One 80-year-old Westport woman has a Network volunteer close to her age simply spend quality time with her once a week. One fellow with a serious disability gets help weeding his garden. The UMass Dartmouth Nursing Program students visit Network members for medical checkups. Sometimes it’s their first time putting their training into in-home practice, Pollock said. “It works out well,” he said. The remarkable side-benefit of Coastal Neighbors Network’s services, according to Pollock, is that the volunteers and the members who are being served bond with each other. “Some volunteers say the member gets to feel like their grandparent,” he said.
Social networking Stuart Brown agrees. He too likes the connection his volunteer work creates between him and the members. The 63-year-old retiree started as a
