Making new friends in old age

Sometimes senior citizens need more than a meal.

Or a ride to the doctor's office.

Sometimes, they just need an arm to lean on at the store. A friendly face. A conversation.

A companion.

For that reason, the Cape Girardeau Senior Tax Board is bringing the Senior Companion Program to the county's elderly residents.

This is how the program will work:

Healthy seniors with limited incomes will be paid $2.65 an hour tax free plus mileage and meals to provide one-on-one assistance to frail seniors who need their help and companionship.

The companions will spend a few hours each week with perhaps two or three people, helping them with errands such as groceries or tasks around the house.

The companions might take folks out to eat, to the beauty shop or perhaps just sit and talk.

The program will be operated, at least at first, by Vickie Rhew, the director of the program in the Bootheel.

Currently, only four areas in the state operate the program: St. Louis, Kansas City, Rolla and the Bootheel, which includes Dunklin, Pemiscot and New Madrid counties.

Rhew said the Cape Girardeau County program will begin as quickly as possible. She said she hopes to have some companions trained by the end of February.

Joy Brown of Kennett, Mo., enjoys her job.

"I get pretty close to my people," said Brown, 70. "I'm just somebody to go with them, to hold their arm or drive them around."

Last Thursday, Brown took a lady to the doctor, then to the local hospital for tests, then helped her go pay a bill, then took her to the library and then to Burger King for a hamburger.

Nationally, 15,500 senior companions tended to the needs of more than 61,000 adult clients, according to 2001 figures from the Senior Corps' Web site.

Those programs are at least partially funded by federal taxes. However, Cape Girardeau County's program will be funded totally by the local senior tax, which is paid for from property taxes.

Dale Rauh, chairman of the senior tax board, said $30,000 was appropriated for the program. He said that money will fund approximately 5,200 hours of service. In all, the tax board appropriates $432,000.

"My impression of their service is that it's been first rate," Rauh said. "A relationship can be formed. That was unique. We don't really have a service like this in the county. We want to give it a try, to test it for a year and see how it measures up."

Clayton Lightfoot, 73, also of Kennett, has received help from the program.

Lightfoot is healthy, but his wife is not. She had a stroke two years ago. She is immobile and he is afraid to leave her alone.

So every Thursday, a companion comes to the house so he can get away. During the winter, he mostly runs errands. But when the weather warms up, he plays golf.

"I think it's a great program and a great benefit to people like me and many others," he said. "After a few hours away, I'm ready to come home. I think it's great work and I would recommend it highly."

Brown said she has been a companion for more than four years, although she doesn't consider it hard work. She has been assigned to three people. She works about four days a week, spending anywhere from two to four hours with each person.

The job helps keep her busy and the money, although it's not much, does help pay for little things like birthday presents, she said.

"I enjoy the talking and socializing," she said. "Old women like to talk, share pictures of their grandchildren. I'm there to just listen. It's been a good experience."

bmiller@semissourian.com

243-6635