Senior Companionship Program


About

  • Senior Companionship Program -- the goal of this program is to pair UABSOM students with home-bound seniors from around the Birmingham community who are being served by the UAB House Calls team and who would benefit from monthly meetings with compassionate and friendly students to combat loneliness and isolation, which are exacerbated by the burden of disease.
  • Due to COVID-19 restrictions, students are currently calling their seniors once every two weeks. We have also been enrolling new patients from outside the House Calls program that have been referred by their physician and who are interested in being contacted by a student.
Social
GivePulse
107 People | 110 Impacts | 114 Hours

Events


Loading...

Wall

Below is the video file for the SCP Fall Meeting and New Member Training. Please refer to it for information regarding this program, its goals, and information for volunteers.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1McnVJ1sRS7EdI3vj05CBBas1P5qBCWJ-/view?usp=sharing
UABSOM Health Equity Newsletter (May 11, 2020)

Senior Companionship Program:

Originally founded three years ago by graduating senior Carson Klein as a part of her Albert Schweitzer Fellowship, this student organization has responded to the COVID pandemic in an impressive manner. This year’s student leaders, Jonathan Dismukes and Madeline Farmer, worked in collaboration with the UAB Housecalls Program and the Senate Service Board to significantly expand the program to provide weekly wellness checks on homebound seniors. The Office of Service Learning met with two members of the UAB Senior Companionship program, Sikandar Raza and Britton Cawthon, to discuss how this pandemic has changed the way they volunteer. Sikandar calls his senior weekly to discuss the pandemic and any issues that the senior faces because of it, like loneliness, fear, etc. They often talk about her family and the new hobby she picked up during the quarantine: painting. "It's nice to be a soundboard for her [...] and it's not just one-sided. I talk to her as well. We keep each other company." Raza says. Britton's relationship with her senior is a little different. Because of his dementia, when Britton calls every week, she re-introduces herself and they begin again. Britton also chats his daughter, who, Britton says, is always so appreciative to have someone to talk to during this difficult time.