The first time Mary Viegut dropped off her husband, Ervin, at My Time for Free Time, a respite program in The Villages, a retirement community in Florida where she and Ervin live, she hardly knew what to do with herself.

"I just went home and said, 'Thank goodness for the silence!'" Mary recalls. "It was such a relief. I could do anything I wanted, which wasn't possible before."

Ervin, who has tremors and mild dementia, has needed full-time care since he sustained a cerebral hemorrhage in 2013. Mary, his wife of 29 years, is a devoted caregiver, but she admits she sometimes needs a break. Residents of The Villages since 2005, Mary and Ervin had tried different adult daycare options after Ervin's hemorrhage, but the experiences weren't always positive.

"I tried one daycare, and that didn't work at all," Mary says. "Ervin felt locked in and was furious. Only two people were taking care of everybody, and there wasn't really anyone for him to interact with." When friends recommended My Time for Free Time in 2016, Mary and Ervin were hesitant.

"When I took him, I said to the volunteer, 'Be sure you call me if he doesn't want to stay.'" She didn't hear a peep for the full three hours. "When I picked him up, I could tell he just loved it."

Inspired at Church

The program was founded in 2015, after Bob Janson, a resident of The Villages, heard an announcement at church that local volunteers were interested in starting a respite care program but needed a coordinator to organize their efforts. By the time he got home from church that day, he told his wife he thought he could tackle it.

Within a few months, Janson had secured the use of a large fellowship hall at the Hope Lutheran Church and recruited more than 40 volunteers, including two nurses, who are on-site in case of emergencies. Today, between 25 and 30 families participate in the program, which meets every Thursday from 1 to 4 PM. Participants, who are called My Timers, enjoy crafts, art projects, music, and games—all for free. And the program is open to anyone, not just residents of The Villages or church congregants.

Focus on Caregivers

The program doesn't engage only participants. Janson also meets with caregivers once a month for 90 minutes to gather feedback, share experiences, and bring in resources, such as social workers, to provide helpful information and insight.

"This program is for the caregivers," Janson says. "It's important to support them however we can." A key to the success of the program is the volunteers, who participate on a weekly basis, adds Janson.

Volunteer Boost

"We volunteers offer our time and skill, but we benefit, too," says Carol Strimple, a former elementary school teacher who helps out every week. "I really enjoy getting to know the My Timers. I love the different activities we do, like music and yoga and trivia. If you can make someone smile and feel good about himself, that's good for the person and good for the volunteer also," she says.

Volunteers like Strimple all submit to a background check, which is a requirement for participation, says Janson. They are also trained on how to interact with My Timers. "The first meeting is usually just observation, and then we have a small group meeting where we go over paperwork and learn more about the My Timers and what to do if someone falls," says Strimple. A volunteer is assigned to each My Timer to ensure that he or she feels comfortable and safe throughout the afternoon. And those who have dementia or other impairments wear special name tags so that volunteers know to take extra care.

Ready for Replication

Given the success of My Time, Janson hopes to help other communities start programs of their own. "It would be simple to replicate," Janson says. "You just need space and dedicated volunteers." And it's not a huge time commitment for the coordinator, requiring only three or four hours a week, says Janson. In addition to writing a weekly newsletter, Janson also arranges to get snacks and crafts and activity supplies for each Thursday session. "Once we got going, it's been pretty easy," he says.

Each My Time session starts with the Pledge of Allegiance and a short Lutheran prayer. My Timers are encouraged to exercise, participate in arts and crafts, or play cards and enjoy each other's company. All My Timers must be able to use the bathroom on their own, although volunteers will escort them in and out.

So far, the program has gotten rave reviews. "Not a week goes by that someone doesn't come up to me and tell me how much they appreciate this program," Janson says.

For Mary Viegut, the sense of relief and enjoyment she felt when she joined the program continues to this day. "It's liberating to know that my husband is being treated so well," she says. "I've had no negative experiences. Ervin and I both love it."