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Make A Referral

Lori’s Hands is continuing to adapt services in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and in accordance with recommendations from the CDC and state and local officials. We’d be happy to speak with you in more detail about our current parameters and services offered.

Enrollment & Eligibility

A good candidate for Lori’s Hands:

  • Is open to serving as a volunteer with Lori’s Hands by spending time each week with our students, answering student questions about experiences with health and the health care system, and supporting our students’ personal and professional growth
  • Lives within the designated geographic area of a chapter accepting clients (currently Newark, DE, Baltimore City, MD, and Metro Detroit [Wayne & Washtenaw Counties], MI)
  • Has a diagnosed chronic illness that impacts independence with instrumental activities of daily living (e.g. cancer, heart failure, multiple sclerosis)
  • Is willing to undergo a criminal background check
  • Is safe to be independent without supervision (students are unable to serve as safety sitters or to provide personal or medical care)
  • Lives in a safe home environment that will pose no threats to the health or safety of student volunteers

Ready to Make a Referral?

Fill out the form below.

Next Steps

Our enrollment process is straightforward and designed to help orient you to our unique service structure. Once you fill out the form above, here’s what you can expect will happen next.

1

Speak with a Lori’s Hands representative on the phone

After we receive your contact information, we’ll reach out via phone to discuss the program parameters, eligibility criteria, and your interest in participation. If you are making a referral on behalf of someone else, we typically reach out to the person making a referral prior to calling the prospective client.
2

Meet with a Lori’s Hands staff person at home

At a mutually agreed upon time, a Lori’s Hands staff person will come out to your home to complete enrollment materials and to discuss what you hope to get out of the program.
3

Student visits begin

Once you’re enrolled, you’ll be paired with two students who will make a weekly visit to assist with household tasks and to provide companionship.
4

Share your experiences

As students assist you with household tasks, we ask you to volunteer too by sharing with students your experience of living with chronic illness. Students are eager to learn more about the health care system, disease processes, caregivers, and more.
5

Develop lasting friendships

Through weekly visits with your student volunteers, you can anticipate forming valuable, intergenerational friendships that will enrich your life and broaden your perspective.

FAQ

If someone fits these criteria, is acceptance into the program guaranteed?
No. Clients are interviewed to determine whether or not they are a good fit for the program. Lori’s Hands reserves the right to deny acceptance into the program for any reason such as service availability and schedule match.

Can Lori’s Hands students provide personal or medical care?
No. Students assist with Instrumental Activities of Daily Living such as grocery shopping, light household chores, meal preparation, gardening, technology training, companionship, and more. Activities students are never permitted to help with include bathing or dressing, administering medications, changing bandages, and safety sitting.

Can Lori’s Hands students provide transportation? Can clients drive students?
No. Students are not permitted to provide transportation to clients, and clients are not permitted to provide transportation to students.

Will the same students visit every week?
Yes! Once students are paired with a client, they continue to make weekly visits throughout the remainder of the semester. Depending on students’ schedules, many continue to visit the same client in subsequent semesters as well.