For many, aging is a complex and fearful unknown. Luckily, employees and volunteers with Volunteers of America (VOA) work tirelessly to alleviate this anxiety by helping local residents and the area’s most vulnerable individuals connect with resources and rebuild their lives.

VOA is a nonprofit organization and ministry of service started over 123 years ago by Ballington and Maud Booth. Since then, the organization has provided essential services to people regardless of faith or religious beliefs.

“We are a national faith-based nonprofit that operates seven different health care-related service programs, mostly for older adults in both Montrose and Delta counties,” said Regional Marketing Director Erin Berge. VOA has been in western Colorado for upwards of 30 years, providing housing, meals, volunteer opportunities and a network of health care services to residents in need.

Horizons Care Center in Eckert, 11411 CO-65, and Valley Manor Care Center in Montrose, 1401 S. Cascade Ave., are VOA’s nursing home communities that offer long-term care, short-term respite stays and rehabilitation therapy. Both facilities provide memory care services for those living with dementia and Alzheimer’s. The Homestead at Montrose, 1819 Pavilion Dr., VOA’s assisted living community, recently added an independent living option to its list of services, diversifying the options for those who do or don’t require a care plan personalized to their needs. Patients can also elect to sign up for in-home skilled nursing care through Home Health of Western Colorado, which sends registered nurses straight to your home to help with physical, occupational and speech therapy; wound care; medication management; surgical aftercare and many other services.

VOA also has two PACE programs (Program of All-inclusive Care for the Elderly) under the name Senior CommUnity Care. These programs in Eckert and Montrose are for residents age 55 and older and are designed to keep people living independently in their own home and active in the community. A great example of this effort is Senior CommUnity Meals, VOA’s meals on wheels program. Not only does it recruit volunteers to deliver meals to homebound older adults, but they also cook and serve nutritious meals in a social setting at seven congregate meal sites throughout Delta and Montrose counties.

The organization’s newest program, Berge said, is the AdvantAge Health Resource Centers in Delta and Montrose. Care navigators in both locations contract with Region 10 Area Agency on Aging to help with in-home assessments or services like personal care, housekeeping, transportation vouchers, respite care and more. “AdvantAge offers services to anyone at any age,” said Berge. “We have a database of local, regional, state and national resources that we use to help figure out what assistance they might qualify for and what things they’d like to investigate further.”

For more information on VOA and its services, call 844-862-4968 or visit www.voa4you.org