Interning for Senior Checks Was Illuminating Experience for this MSW Student

By Devan O’Sullivan

As a Master’s in Social Work (MSW) student at Ramapo College, my internship with The Bright Side Family afforded me the opportunity to work with the Senior Checks money-management program. It was a humbling and gratifying experience that I will take with me throughout the rest of my social work career.

In my months working with three older adults I saw firsthand how the challenges of living on a fixed income, managing chronic illness and navigating new technology can pose major obstacles for many seniors trying to maintain their independence. Programs like Senior Checks help give these older adults more autonomy and peace of mind about their finances, as well as matching them with a supportive and friendly visitor who can offer companionship and moral support, which was often the most integral part of my time spent.

I worked with three individuals. The first, Claire, is a woman in her late 60s living in affordable housing who felt intensely overwhelmed by all the mail and paperwork associated with the benefit programs that were vital to maintaining her independence and quality of life. Claire was having trouble staying on top of her paperwork. 

 “The program has shown me that meaningful change does not always come from intense, large-scale interventions, but often from small, consistent acts of care that restore confidence and independence.”

 A few years earlier, a series of life events had forced her out of her Bergen County home, including a cancer diagnosis and the death of key individuals in her support system. Claire was having trouble staying on top of her paperwork. Her car needed repairs she couldn’t afford, and her cancer treatment often leaves her mentally drained - factors that make it hard for her to tend to administrative tasks without assistance. She would often get scattered on tasks so she benefitted greatly from having me there to guide through some more complicated processes, such as her benefit applications and renewals, as well as with more mundane tasks like figuring out what old correspondence she could shred. 

A common reason why low-income older adults need this program is to be supported in getting organized so they can apply for needed financial resources, a task that usually includes gathering required banking records and other documents. I assisted Claire in getting her paperwork in order so that she could enroll herself in New Jersey’s LIHEAP and ANCHOR programs, which reduced her utility and tax costs at a time when both were rising. After she began receiving these benefits, Claire was optimistic she’d be able to save up for the repairs her car needed and begin to get herself around again. When we first met, Claire was semi-comfortable utilizing technology but needed some instruction on digitizing important records and accessing online portals, tasks she later became comfortable doing on her own. Six months after we first began meeting, I am happy to report that her confidence in managing her life’s administrative tasks has grown significantly. It was moving to see the time that I spent with her had truly made a positive impact.

My second client was Lisa, a former English teacher in her mid 70s who lived on very low fixed income while also suffering from a multitude of health problems, including a back injury suffered in a motor vehicle accident that devastated her life more than 3 decades ago. Now in what is supposed to be her “golden years,” she still suffers the ramifications of that event, along with other health obstacles such as vision loss and tremors that prevent her from writing legibly. Her health struggles have helped her gain mental toughness and strong self-advocacy so she needed less emotional support than some other Senior Checks clients. Instead, she mostly needed physical assistance, such as scribing forms and paperwork and physically going through paperwork. Still, she reported feeling left behind and “stuck in the 20th century” because her technology skills have not kept pace with the times. We worked on developing a filing system, writing important checks for things like utilities and rent, and ordering necessities online, such as groceries. This was huge as her physical condition makes getting in and out of her apartment extremely difficult. This demonstrated to me how the Senior Checks program can not only assist with the short-term goals of setting up bill-paying strategies but also help teach other digital and life-management tools that are necessary to age in place. In addition to helping Lisa go through piles of unsorted mail and correspondence, I also referred her to various organizations that assist seniors and people living with a disability. This helped reduce her monthly expenses, ending her worries about ending each month in the red. After a few weeks of our work together, Lisa began to feel more comfortable doing simple tasks that had previously overwhelmed her, such as making sure her rental and housing costs were paid on time and online shopping, something she needed to learn because none of her clothing was fitting her comfortably anymore. Without the help of this program, Lisa let me know that she would spend hours a day trying to get her administrative tasks completed. 

Ryan, a former cargo ship worker, is a gentleman in his late 80s, separated from his wife and whose children reside abroad. As an immigrant to this country, he shared with me that he felt very isolated and alone. When he learned this program was available to him, he was worried that it was too good to be true. When I started my work with him, he was behind on outstanding medical bills. We formulated a plan to pay his bills over time, week by week and advocated for the reduction of late fees, since many of these bills went unpaid due to multiple hospital stays. He often expressed frustration in not understanding what some charges were for, confused partially because of the medical jargon and partially because of the language barrier. After we dealt with these “fires,” Ryan developed a newfound motivation, expressing to me he was “not done living his life”. He enjoyed our visits and talked about our mutual interest and eventually was willing to be connected to his local senior center. At first, Ryan had expressed fear over visiting that center, but with my encouragement, he met with the activities director and is now planning to take French and Zumba classes. Ryan was always a pleasure to work with, but the improvement in his attitude in a few months was palpable and gratifying. Ryan’s story seems a familiar one among the ranks of The Bright Side Family’s Senior Checks program. For many, a medical emergency or another crisis causes them to get behind on their bills, and the stress and worry then infiltrates other aspects of their lives.

Senior Checks volunteers are trained to seek not just financial solutions but other positive interventions that can ensure continued independence and wellbeing, through talking to the Social Work supervisor, who manages each case. During my time volunteering, I assisted with tasks ranging from file organization, budgeting, obtaining government documents, benefit applications, writing checks, and virtual guidance. This challenged me as a young person who admittedly had never done some of these tasks myself. However, that is the beauty of the program, we are doing daily money management, not financial planning. Learning how to handle some of these situations together, with the support of my supervisor, was a bonding experience. I know my time in this program has made me a more competent and compassionate social worker. The work could be challenging at times, but it felt monumentally rewarding when one of my clients was approved for LIHEAP benefits or another was able to finally afford a TV so that they could watch a movie for the first time in years. Seniors Checks can be as rewarding for the interns and volunteers as it is for the clients. It is gratifying to support an aging member of the community in being able to continue living in their homes with dignity. 

In reflecting on my time with Senior Checks, I recognize that this experience has not only strengthened my practical skills but has also deepened my understanding of what it truly means to support others with empathy and respect. The program has shown me that meaningful change does not always come from intense, large-scale interventions, but often from small, consistent acts of care that restore confidence and independence. As I continue my journey at Ramapo College and into my future career as a social worker, I will carry forward the lessons, relationships, and perspective I have gained. Senior Checks has reaffirmed my commitment to serving the community and advocating for programs that preserve dignity, foster connection, and empower individuals to live fulfilling lives on their own terms.

Editor's Note: Senior Checks is a free money-management program that offers support with various financial tasks and other services to those 60 and older living in Bergen County. Senior Checks provides services in partnership with Bergen County Division of Senior Services. These tasks include assisting with bill payments, budgeting, mail management, check writing, navigating online banking, and protecting against financial scams. We prioritize personalized support for our program clients by pairing them with dedicated, trained, and vetted volunteers & master’s level social work students who serve as their “Bill Paying Assistants”. Importantly, our Community Program Manager, Alexandra Valdivia, a licensed social worker, plays a vital role in managing each case and further facilitating our program by connecting clients to relevant social services that can greatly benefit their budgets and quality of life. To learn more about Senior Checks or to get in touch about enrolling yourself or a loved one, call (201) 530-6756.