Senior FAQ

To be matched, seniors must be 65 or older, complete a senior application, and participate in an interview. We also welcome individuals under 65 who may experience isolation due to disabilities. Applications are often completed by individuals seeking connection, caregivers, or family members who recognize a loved one's need for companionship, or we have seniors who are volunteers themselves.

Yes! Many seniors in our program have friends, family, or support from agencies like Meals on Wheels or Telehelp who visit regularly. In fact, approximately 20% of participants live with at least one family member. However, they may still experience a lack of social connection and meaningful friendship. There are seven days in a week and as one of our supporters shared, “The days can get pretty long when you’re alone.”

The age of our Befriender seniors are typically 65 years old and beyond, but there are exceptions when younger than 65 years old seniors are accepted into the program. The abilities of our seniors are varied within levels of mobility, vision, hearing, and memory.

Befrienders will not accept seniors into the program who have the following health conditions, they are ineligible to be a part of the Befrienders program (though an exception may be made in some cases):

• Advanced dementia such as is consistent with Stages 6 and 7 of Alzheimer’s, including confusing of environment and surroundings, inability to remember most details of personal history, major personality changes, etc. This is not to say that a senior may not remain in our program after experiencing a decline.
• Communication issues so severe that it is impossible/improbable to carry on a relatively normal conversation with the person.

All volunteers are required to complete an interview and training session, reference, and background checks before joining our program. To ensure continued success, volunteers and seniors receive regular check-ins every few months, offering an opportunity to discuss any needs for additional support or resources. We are committed to supporting both our volunteers and seniors and encourage participants to reach out with questions, concerns, or updates about their match.

Before matching volunteers with a senior, we provide thorough training and conduct reference and background checks for all volunteers. For senior participants, the process begins with a home visit after receiving their application. During this visit, we take the time to learn about their interests, hobbies, and personalities.

Next, we recommend a match between a volunteer and a senior. To ensure a smooth start, we accompany them to their initial meeting at the senior’s home, which typically lasts about an hour. If the match feels promising, contact information is exchanged, and the senior and volunteer coordinate their weekly visits moving forward.

How they choose to spend their time together is entirely up to them! Popular activities include working on crafts, going out to lunch, strolling downtown, playing games, chatting over tea or coffee, visiting a museum, or simply enjoying meaningful conversation in the comfort of their home.

Volunteers commit to meeting with their senior for at least one hour per week. Although, if the volunteer has more time or special events/activities they would like to take you to, they may visit more often or for longer periods. If your volunteer is a student, they’ll likely be gone over the December holidays.

This really depends on the match. Befrienders visitors and seniors are matched together based on common interests and availability, and the seniors who come to us are all different. Some live-in assisted living facilities and have no family to speak of. Others live with their spouses, children or other family members, but need a friend, either because they spend so much time with their caregiver that they just need to get away (and their caregiver needs a break), or because their caregivers are always asking them to do things (grooming, physical therapy, etc.) and they just need someone to visit who doesn’t want anything from them. Some seniors just want someone to take them to the grocery store and to run other errands. Others want to go for short hikes, out to coffee or on adventures! Still others have mobility issues and just need someone who is willing to sit and visit with them. The expectations of every volunteer/senior match are different, but each match has the potential to change the lives of both the senior and the volunteer visitor for the better.

The number of seniors waiting to be matched varies depending on the time of year, but we are currently in a pandemic surge of seniors in need of a Befriender. We get more volunteers when students are in school, both because of student volunteers from MSU and from mothers who are able to be volunteer visitors while their children are in school. In the summertime, there is a much larger need for dedicated volunteer visitors. Unfortunately, there are always seniors waiting to be matched at any given time. However, it must be remembered that seniors are matched based on their interests and needs so it is not a first-come, first-serve basis. Some seniors are matched up within a week of joining the program, others may wait many months for an appropriate match. Befrienders can always use more volunteers!

Call Befrienders anytime at 406-522-8169 or email info@befriendersbozeman.org