For more than 15 years, Accompagnement Bénévole De L’Ouest / Volunteer Accompaniment Service (ABOVAS) in Montreal has connected vulnerable seniors with volunteers who not only drive them to medical appointments but also stay with them and offer support.

Volunteer drivers have been helping seniors in Montreal’s West Island stay independent and continue living at home while they receive all the support they need. This service helps fill an important gap by providing both transportation and companionship, making it easier for vulnerable seniors to manage daily needs.

In 2022, ABOVAS introduced a new service in Montreal’s West Island where volunteers would accompany seniors while they shop, go to the bank, or run other errands, in addition to providing transportation. The service is available to people aged 65 and older with physical or cognitive challenges, as well as younger people with a medical recommendation. It helps fill an important gap for those who are not sick enough for full-time care but still need support to stay independent. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, demand has grown quickly, with social outings more than doubling between 2022 and 2023.

ABOVAS was founded in December 2007 and has so far helped 8,343 individuals with more than 41,404 accompanied trips, travelling over 1,010,613 kilometres, about 222 times the distance between Montreal and Vancouver. It has supported nearly 800 hospitals and clinics across the Island of Montreal. Currently, the service provides about 3,456 trips, averaging 70 trips per week, including both medical and social outings. Most users are seniors aged 60 and above, and 72% are women. The program is run with the dedicated help of about 60 volunteers who make sure seniors in need can get where they need to go safely and with support.

Source: Charlotte Theofanous, Mijon Zulu, Irène de Grave, CBC