FAQs
Answers so some of our most frequently asked questions.
Our Services
What services does The Center provide?
- Transportation to medical/dental appointments or for basic needs
- Grocery shopping
- Family caregiver respite service and support
- Limited home chore service
- Friendly Visiting/TeleCare
- Help with Paperwork
How does The Center provide services?
All of The Center’s direct services are provided by volunteers. The Center’s staff recruits, screens, trains and supports the community volunteers who want to support their older neighbors. Volunteers can provide non-medical services.
Who are the volunteers?
People 18 years of age or older from all walks of life with diverse backgrounds, abilities and interests, who have a desire to help others. All volunteer caregivers receive training regarding The Center’s services. Criminal background checks are conducted for all volunteers.
Who can refer an individual for The Center’s services?
The Center accepts self-referrals from eligible care recipients. The Center does not accept referrals from friends and family members of the care receiver.
Referrals are accepted from hospitals, home health agencies, social service agencies, faith community leadership, health care providers, and community partners such as Resources for Seniors, AARP, Central Pines AAA, and other agencies that support older adults and adults with disabilities. See the “Ask for Help” page for more information on how to refer someone for services.
Who We Serve
Who is eligible for services?
- Resident of Wake County, living independently at home, not in a long term care facility, and
- Age 65 or above with economic or social needs that put them at risk of compromised health or institutional placement; or
- Age between 18 and 65 with a permanent disability that puts them at risk of compromised health or institutional placement
What is the service area?
The Center serves all of Wake County: Apex, Cary, Fuquay-Varina, Holly Springs, Knightdale, Morrisville, Raleigh, Rolesville, Wake Forest, Wendell, Willow Spring, and Zebulon.
Will The Center still help me if I move into an assisted living facility or nursing home?
The Center’s services are intended to help people who live independently in their own homes and to supplement the help that family and neighborhood caregivers can provide. A care receiver who moves from any independent living situation to an assisted living or nursing home may continue to receive Friendly Visiting or Telecare services from their current volunteer as long as the volunteer agrees to continue. However, a new volunteer will not be assigned.
Funding & Costs
How much does it cost to use the services of The Center?
The Center’s services are provided for free. It is important to us that anyone who needs our help receives it, regardless of ability to pay. However, it does cost money to operate The Center. Our annual budget includes staff salaries, insurance, telephone, materials and supplies, postage, rent, and other costs associated with running the organization. We ask that everyone who receives help from The Center make a donation if they are able to do so. That said, services are provided regardless of whether a care receiver has given a donation.
How much should I donate if I get help from The Center?
There is no easy answer to this question. How much you can contribute depends on a number of factors. When considering how much you can afford, you might ask yourself questions like:
- How much money do I have left each month after paying my bills, including my medications?
- Are my adult children able to stay at work because a volunteer from The Center provides rides or chore assistance to me? Would they have to use vacation or sick time to take me to my medical appointments?
- Are The Center’s services helping me to remain living in my own home? Base your contributions on how The Center’s services extend the length of your independence and save you the cost of assisted living or a nursing home placement.
Should I pay the volunteer?
No. People choose to volunteer at The Center because they want to help. All volunteers are instructed not to accept cash gifts from care receivers.
How does The Center get its funding?
The Center’s operating funds come from a variety of sources. We are supported by our partners, individual and corporate donations, fundraising events, and state and federal grants. State and federal grants cover a lot of our costs but are not guaranteed from year to year. It would not be possible for us to provide the kind of help that we do without the financial support of our partners, individuals and corporate donors.
Support Our Work
How can I help?
- Volunteer and tell your faith community, friends, coworkers and neighbors about our volunteer opportunities
- Invite us to speak to your group
- Become a donor through individual giving, planned giving, or in-kind contributions
- Support our ongoing fundraising efforts
