I have some contact with about 3 different churches in this area and found that each one has a committee made up of volunteers, mostly women, who visit the homebound, make sure they have food and are getting to the doctor, read the bible to them, take tapes of the sermons, clean their homes, give moral support. make hospital visits, visit those in nursing homes.
I remember when my mother after a lengthy illness finally had to go into a hospice facility. I mentioned that I felt bad that my father and I couldn't be there more. One of the workers (knowing we were witnesses) asked about a ladies' auxilliary. I innocently asked where I could find such a group, and she said, "Well, most churches have them." I didn't know what to say, my dad muttered something about how we have elders. I about choked.... The elders had done almost zero for the previous seven years of her illness.
During those seven years she had very very few visitors. In fact there were several instances where car groups would work their neighborhood, but didn't bother to stop in to see my parents. I will say--this was the catalyst that got me into investigating my religion. My parents were well-respected members of the congregation when they were healthy enough to be of service, but when they desperately needed some moral and some physical support, they got practically none.