Why Volunteer with VASIA?
VASIA volunteers help people in the community who require assistance with making decisions due to health problems such as dementia, mental illness, or a traumatic brain injury. This would involve connecting such people with services that would help them maintain their independence while also assuring health and safety. In addition, volunteers also examine an individual’s environment to ensure that their current living situation is safe. This evaluation does not necessarily mean a change to a residential facility, but may mean the assistance of a service provider. Volunteers also elicit the assistance of friends and neighbors to provide safety factors to assist the person.
Volunteer Information
Anyone over the age of 21 can volunteer.
Volunteers should expect to put in an average of 6 hours monthly. The time commitment will vary according to the need of the protected person.
Communication with the protected person may be hampered by the cognitive decline due to impairment. Patience is a welcomed attribute in being a volunteer.
You can apply by filling out the volunteer application form and scheduling an interview to determine whether this opportunity is what you are really seeking.
Usually, a volunteer will be able to set their own hours. However, consent for a change of medications or the need for emergency care may be needed at about any time.
VASIA helps prepare volunteers by offering training and tools.
Volunteer Training Topics
This training provides information on Indiana’s guardianship laws with emphasis on the following topics:
- Procedural: How is guardianship established?
- Alternatives to guardianship
- Overcoming challenges associated with Indiana’s guardianship law and practice
- Due process and how it relates to guardianship
This training focuses on the following topics:
- What happens as we age?
- Major topics in geriatric care: incontinence falls
- Dementia, delirium, and how those differ from mental illness
In this training, we will answer the following questions:
- What are Medicare and Medicaid?
- What do Medicare and Medicaid pay for?
- When do Medicare and Medicaid pay?
This training answers the following questions:
- What resources are available and for whom?
- Who initiates a referral?
- How to initiate a referral?
- What role should a volunteer advocate have in the service delivery team?
This training helps in making difficult end-of-life decisions by providing information on the following:
- Palliative care and hospice services
- Ethical issues in end-of-life decision making
This training covers the following topics:
- Least Restrictive Alternative
- Self-determination of patient
- Medical decision making
- Confidentiality and conflicts of interest
- Relationships, informed consent, and standards for decision making
This training provides information on what Adult Protective Services does and how they do it.
Interested in Applying to become a VASIA Volunteer?
