Sometimes, all it takes is a sympathetic ear to help a senior through a hard time.
During COVID-19, the Telephone Assurance Program in Simcoe County is connecting seniors with trained volunteers which can help the elderly through what could be a time of loneliness and seclusion.
“We’re reaching out to isolated seniors and are making phone calls to give them a bit of social interaction,” said Heather Stone, program co-ordinator for community health and wellness programs with Canadian Red Cross’ Barrie and South Simcoe chapter. “In some cases, we’re also confirming their safety.
“No matter what is going on in the world, we always have some isolated seniors, but especially right now with COVID-19, we’re seeing more and more isolated people. This lets them know someone out there is thinking about them,” she added.
Typically, the program employs about 10 volunteers, reaching about 300 local seniors monthly. Since COVID-19 struck, about 30 volunteers are now making the calls, reaching about 1,000 seniors throughout Simcoe County and Muskoka in March.
Clients are generally self-referred, said Stone, and can choose to receive calls daily, weekly, bi-weekly or even monthly depending on the client's wishes.
“Sometimes a family member who lives far away will recommend the program to a client, or an agency will refer a client to the program,” she said.
When clients cannot be reached, the police are called in to do a wellness check. Overall, Stone says the program is working well.
“We know it’s working because the clients are happy,” she said, with a laugh. “If anyone out there would like a phone call, they just need to give our office a call during our office hours and we can get them set up.”
For more information on the Telephone Assurance Program, click here.
