Causes: Human Services, Transportation & Home Safety Modification Assistance

Target Demographics: Elderly, disabled, & chronically ill individuals (primarily age 60
and over) who use IVC as the last resort due to limited financial/transportation/family resources.

Geographic Service Area: Numerous communities within the Magic Valley service area including Blaine, Camas, Cassia, Gooding, Jerome, Lincoln, Minidoka, and Twin Falls counties.

Purpose: IVC provides clients “Access to Healthcare” and other essential services while “Giving the Gift of Home” so they can live independently, and safely in the comfort of their home regardless of their lack of financial/transportation/family resources.

Mission Statement: Interlink Volunteer Caregivers (IVC) provides volunteer transportation (FREE door through door) along with minor home safety modification (wheelchair ramps, handrails & grab bars) services to the elderly, disabled, and chronically ill individuals to live independently in their own homes.

Services: IVC’s current services consist of two parts – transportation and home safety modifications.

• Part 1 – “Access to Healthcare” transportation program provides rides to low-income elderly, non-wheelchair disabled and chronically ill citizens of the eight-county service area. IVC continues to transport more individuals to cancer treatments, dialysis treatments, physical therapy, pulmonary rehab, cataract surgery, and preventive healthcare appointments (medical, vision, hearing, dental) including bone-density scans, mammograms, medical testing procedures and COVID vaccinations, not counting the numerous pharmacy and grocery stops. These trips connect clients to their medical providers in Twin Falls, Boise or even Salt Lake City, when necessary.
• Part 2 – IVC’s home safety modification program helps low-income elderly, disabled and chronically ill citizens by installing wheelchair ramps, handrails & grab bar modifications for seniors. Studies indicate that home modifications help support the participants’ ability to age in place at home while making them more confident to live alone. Home modifications improve participants’ safety, accessibility, privacy, and occupational performance, especially in performing self-care activities.

Our Team: IVC uses a “workforce” of dedicated volunteers. All IVC’s volunteers are criminally background checked, trained and insured. The volunteer “workforce” uses their own vehicles to transport clients while other volunteers provide minor home safety modifications.

Results: IVC continues to provide a safety net to break down barriers to “Access to Healthcare” and other essential services for those most at risk – elderly, disabled, and chronically ill. Our community is stronger and healthier because of IVC’s commitment to serve this underserved demographic. Allowing individuals more independence in their own homes along with helping the elderly to maintain a higher quality of life and self-reliance is important to IVC’s Board, Staff, and Volunteers.

Why: Access barriers are issues preventing people from receiving timely medical care, including lack of transportation. The health indicator data and community representative scores have ranked this access barrier as one of our community’s most significant health needs. Enabling seniors to stay in their own homes has a powerful side effect – Seniors can stay out of nursing facilities and hospitals, which saves taxpayers billions in preventable healthcare and medical expenses.