Full Life Care Supports Elders with Friendship and Community

“I’m taking a lot off her shoulders so she can do what she needs to do, and that feels good to me,” says Eve, a dedicated Care Team volunteer for Full Life Care. 

Companionship, socialization, and helping hands are human needs often satisfied by family and friends. However, older adults and people with chronic or terminal illnesses or disabilities, and their unpaid caregivers, may lack these vital connections. That’s what Full Life Care provides – health and social services to enhance the quality of life for elders needing assistance with daily living activities and people with chronic or terminal illnesses and disabilities. 

Full Life Care has served the community since the mid-1970s, beginning with Adult Day Health Centers. Today, their network of life-changing services propels their vision of “a future where adults with serious illnesses or disabilities can be supported in the community rather than living in isolation or needing to resort to institutional care.” 

Full Life Care serves approximately 3,000 people annually in King and Snohomish counties, 97% of whom have low incomes, and 76% of whom live below the poverty line. Programs include case management, mental and behavioral health support, healthcare services coordination, and housing stabilization. Three programs – ElderFriends, Adult Day Health Centers, and Care Teams – welcome volunteers. 

ElderFriends matches volunteers with elders living independently who feel lonely. Elders and their Friends enjoy regular visits and semiannual social gatherings. Companionship is a powerful tool to prevent or mitigate the health effects of loneliness and isolation, including dementia, stroke, depression, and anxiety. 

When the pandemic prohibited ElderFriends’ personal visits, volunteers sent heartfelt cards of encouragement reminding elders they were not forgotten. Elders so enjoyed receiving these handmade cards that Full Life Care expanded this outreach with a monthly mailing including enrichment activities and community resources. 

ElderFriends volunteers commit to two- or three-monthly visits for at least one year. Schedules are flexible based on participant and volunteer availability. In matching volunteers with elders, Full Life Care looks for commonalities and shared interests as well as location to reduce transportation barriers.

Adult Day Health Centers are a clublike environment in which participants socialize, engage in gross motor and cognitive skills activities, and receive needed health support, including occupational therapy and skilled nursing to treat special medical needs such as diabetes care and stroke rehabilitation. 

“I come here [to Adult Day Health] because I enjoy it. I need to get stronger and hopefully will get my balance back so I can walk again,” says one participant. Adult Day Health Center services empower people to live independently in their own homes or at a community residence. Participants typically attend an Adult Day Health Center for up to 20 hours a week, receiving services funded by Medicare, Medicaid, or long-term care insurance. 

Volunteers assist staff –   engaging participants in activities and socializing based on individuals’ skills, hobbies, interests, and abilities – helping people feel connected and valued. These volunteers commit to a consistent weekly shift of two hours for at least three months. 

Care Teams of two-to-four volunteers form Full Life Care’s caregiver respite program, offering social, emotional, and practical support. Care Team duties depend on each caregiver’s needs and volunteers’ abilities. Care Teams help reduce stress, prevent burnout, and improve the quality of life for both caregivers and care recipients. 

Typical activities include assisting with light tasks such as gardening or grocery shopping or providing companionship to the care recipient so the caregiver can enjoy leisure activities, run errands, or just relax. 

Care Team members visit during the day and don’t provide any medical care. Volunteers commit to four hours per month of caregiver respite for one year. Care Team members may be friends or get matched by Full Life Care. They may visit participants together or separately. 

Volunteers are drawn to Full Life Care for many reasons. Some miss caring for a loved one or desire a meaningful connection to their community upon retirement. “I felt like I wasn’t doing anything except playing,” says Eve. “I wanted to meet   new people, and working in a team seemed like   a good idea.” 

If you’re compassionate, kind, patient, and   open-minded, you already have the skills to volunteer with Full Life. You’ll support a highly vulnerable community in which the challenges participants face are complex. And you’ll bring joy, friendship, and support to those who need it. 

Individual volunteers and groups are welcome! Contact RSVP at rsvp@solid-ground.org if you’re interested. 

This article appeared in the RSVP "Experience in Action" newsletter and is courtesy of Solid-Ground.org.

Here is a link to the full newsletter: RSVP Experience in Action Spring 2025