Saturday’s New York Times Well column was all about seniors who are alone and need an escort home from medical procedures that require sedation. You know what we’re talking about: the colonoscopy is the classic example, but cataracts and just about any outpatient surgery is in this category.

A perfect job for a Village volunteer! No medical expertise needed, because these folks would otherwise be accompanied by a random friend or family member. There certainly should be (IOHO) a plan for telephone follow-up by a nurse on a daily basis for a couple of days at least. But that same Village volunteer who escorted the person home could do a friendly check-in to establish that they are at least okay.