Anyone who has been on vacation for a long time knows how quickly letters can grow into a huge pile. For seniors who are overwhelmed with the paperwork and therefore put the letters from the authorities, public utilities or health insurance companies aside and thus possibly let deadlines pass, this can not only lead to a mountain of letters or an overcrowded e-mail box, but also become a big problem. The district therefore now wants to use so-called post-godparents, who mainly help the elderly to sort and deal with their correspondence.
District Administrator Christoph Göbel (CSU) can still clearly remember an old lady from his time as Mayor in Graefelfing, to whom the electricity was turned off. In any case, lack of money was not the reason why the woman suddenly found herself in the dark. “People are often uncomfortable going where to get help,” says Göbel. Often the partner who died in the meantime had taken care of these things over the years. Or a visual impairment has recently restricted reading and writing. If there is then no one in the family to help the senior citizens process the mail, a lot is left behind.
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The outreach senior counseling of the district, which determines such a need, can now find volunteer post sponsors to the elderly affected. These support the seniors in their homes with opening, sorting, filing and answering the mail. They discuss and process official letters together and, if necessary, assist in filling out forms. The new offer of the district is linked to a cooperation with the Münchner Bildungswerk (MBW). There the volunteers are trained and take part in information evenings and training courses.
Because it is not as straightforward as it might sound to process strangers’ mail. “There are legal limits to what a post-godfather is allowed to do, that’s not easy,” said District Administrator Göbel, justifying the cooperation with the educational institution at the meeting of the social committee on Monday. In the family area, there are completely different possibilities to clarify something or to decide. This is clarified very thoroughly in the training courses.
In five modules, each with three teaching units of 45 minutes each, however, it is not just about the legal framework for helpers, i.e. insurance, data protection, coordination processes and confidentiality. The post sponsors also get to know the structure of the support systems and benefits for older people in the district and get an overview of the most important applications. They talk about limitations in old age and age-related illnesses and practice conversing with older people. According to Bildungswerk, post sponsors should be sociable and have sufficient time resources. They should also be able to get involved in tense life situations and not have any reservations with regard to the issues of old age, illness and loss of skills. The voluntary post sponsors receive an expense allowance and are invited to two parties a year. The district is subsidizing the project with 63,000 euros over the next three years. The district office currently sees a high need among senior citizens in the district. However, people with severe dementia, pronounced mental illness or very heavy litter are excluded from post-sponsorship.