Volunteer advocates for needy adults in Lake County are sworn in

Volunteer advocates for needy adults in Lake County are sworn in

2019--fhThe Volunteer Advocates for Seniors and Incapacitated Adults (VASIA) organization of Franciscan Health Hammond welcomed 11 new members during a swearing-in ceremony recently with Lake Superior Court Judge Bruce Parent and Probate Commissioner America McAlpin.

The VASIA program, instituted in 2001 and the brainchild of then-hospital President Tom Gryzbek, is a collaborative effort between the hospital and Lake County Superior Courts. It provides trained and supervised volunteers to serve as court-appointed legal guardians to assist the elderly and incapacitated adults. The volunteers assist the courts with decision-making. VASIA likewise partners with service delivery programs to develop a continuum of elder law advocacy and guardianship services in the Region.

Volunteers in the VASIA Program complete a 40-hour training program and serve as a limited guardian for one case at a time. To learn more about the program, visit www.franciscanhealth.org/VASIA.