Volunteers needed for annual clean-up event for central Indiana seniors

There’s no place like home.

For older adults throughout Johnson County and central Indiana, the houses are where they raised their families and welcome their grandchildren. Every room is laden with memories. There’s an immense comfort from the places.

But as they age, those homes may no longer be safe for them to live in. Families may be required to make the hard decision to move into a care facility.

CICOA Aging & In-Home Solutions, a nonprofit serving Johnson County and surrounding counties, wants to be sure that’s not the case. And they need help to do it.

Volunteers are needed to help support senior citizens throughout central Indiana during the annual Safe at Home Clean Up event on Sept. 14. Hosted by CICOA Aging & In-Home Solutions, the event is a high-impact half-day of service assisting low-income seniors homeowners in the area.

Participants will be paired with CICOA clients to help make their homes and yards safe and accessible for daily living.

With September being National Fall Prevention Awareness Month, the outreach opportunity aims to prevent costly and dangerous falls and injuries among seniors.

“One of the most costly items for seniors is if there’s a fall and they have to go to the emergency room. They end up in the hospital, and then the question becomes, what’s going to happen to that senior when they get out of the hospital,” said Steve Gerber, chief development officer of CICOA Foundation. “What if we could help keep them where they want to be? What Safe at Home does is gives seniors a choice and options, and gives their family members hope.”

CICOA is a nonprofit organization known as Area Agency on Aging — the largest such agency in the state, serving Johnson County as well as nine other counties in central Indiana.

The agency’s focus is to connect older adults and people with disabilities and their caregivers to the care they need. A major initiative for CICOA is ensuring seniors can stay in their homes, Gerber said.

“The big concern is keeping people in their homes and safe as long as possible,” he said.

That’s the idea behind Safe at Home, which offers home improvements that promote accessibility and prevent accidents, which is key to successfully aging in place and maintaining independence.

“We do home assessments and determine if they need low-impact kinds of things — maybe they need a rug tacked down so they don’t fall, or need better lighting,” Gerber said. “It can be simple things like that to, and then we also do things that are bigger, like putting in grab bars or widening doors, so if the person uses a wheelchair, they can get through the door easier.”

From July 2022 to June 2023, the organization provides 380 home modifications. Through its work, CICOA has found that on average, they’re able to keep seniors in their homes for about 3 1/2 years longer than they would otherwise.

“It’s safety, it’s giving people choices, and it’s allowing people to be at home longer,” Gerber said.

Safe at Home operates year-round. But their annual clean-up events, such as the one being held on Sept. 14, is an opportunity to make a large-scale impact in just one day.

Volunteers will focus their efforts on homeowners in Indianapolis. They’ll be doing everything from minor yard cleanup to checking that carpets and lighting are safely secured. Some houses will also have wheelchair ramps installed.

“There’s really a variety of projects and work for all kinds of skill levels,” Gerber said.

The clean-up days are routinely one of the most moving events CICOA does, Gerber said. Volunteers will gather at 7:30 a.m. to register and sign in, take a group photo and listen to a short program by CICOA leaders.

Then, it’s off to the homes of their assigned seniors to get to work.

“For me, it’s one of the most enjoyable volunteer experiences,” Gerber said. “Last year, we had 160 volunteers, everyone from 8 or 9-year-olds coming with their parents to teenagers to older adults — people in their 70s and 80s — who were still capable and were able to volunteer,” Gerber said. “It’s an incredibly rewarding experience.”

AT A GLANCE

Safe at Home Clean Up

What: A half-day of service to low-income senior homeowners over the age of 60 in central Indiana, organized by CICOA Aging & In-Home Solutions. About 200 volunteers are needed to help with the event. For those unable to volunteer, donations are also appreciated and go toward materials and maintenance.

When: 8 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Sept. 14

How to sign up: Go to cicoa.org/event/safe-at-home-event/