Retire-to Volunteering

100 Jan Lockard—Tennessee Respite Coalition That’s What Friends Are For—Tennessee Respite Coalition What’s a friend? Someone with whom you can laugh, someone who helps you with little things and big things, someone who makes you feel special—that’s a friend! Jan Lockard is good at being that friend to two ladies, who happen to be in a nursing home. That’s her volunteer service as a Senior Companion with the Tennessee Respite Coalition. Jan has two “special ladies” she stays with for eight hours twice a week. They look forward to their day because time with Jan is fun—something that is too often lacking for ladies in their 90’s in nursing homes. Jan is intentional about the “little things,” like playing Bingo or other games, taking her ladies to the onsite dining area to be with others instead of having meals delivered and eaten alone in the room, and setting up a personalized playlists of favorite music. She also listens to their stories of the good old days—something that busy staff aren’t usually able to do