Red Cross phone program helps seniors combat loneliness

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The Canadian Red Cross has partnered with Nursing Homes Without Walls to help seniors combat isolation and loneliness through regular phone calls.

The Friendly Calls program is a free phone-based initiative offered through the Red Cross, where a volunteer is matched with an adult who registers for the program, and is looking for more social interaction.

Last year, the federal government announced $8.5 million in funding so the program could expand to all provinces and territories and be offered in French and English.

Diane Tait, supervisor for the Atlantic region, said the program has been offered in New Brunswick since 2020, near the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The calls are an opportunity for volunteers to chat about the participant’s day and provide any emotional support they might need and also to listen for ways to help connect that individual with other supports in the community if that’s needed,” she said.

The partnership with the Nursing Homes Without Walls will allow seniors in the Saint John and Port Elgin area who are part of that program to register for Friendly Calls.

The Nursing Homes Without Walls began as a pilot project, and later expanded through the provincial health plan. It provides improved access to health and social services for older adults living in the community. Services range from home visits to transportation and bringing seniors into nursing homes for help with baths, meals, and social interaction.

Program staff have also provided home care relief services and worked to assist seniors with navigating existing services and filling out applications.

Tait said Friendly Calls is open to any adult over 18, but the partnership with Nursing Homes Without Walls will help them reach their target audience of older adults, caregivers and Indigenous communities.

There are over 1,000 Friendly Calls volunteers across the country that are trained in communication and coping skills with a team to support them if the need arises, such as connecting the participants with resources.

“We primarily look to match people from the same province if we can,” she said, noting there are about 100 volunteers in New Brunswick.

Sometimes the calls are weekly, and other times every other week, depending on the needs of the participant.

The National Institute on Ageing revealed in a study released last year found that as many as 41 per cent of Canadians aged 50 years and older are at risk of social isolation and up to 58 per cent have experienced loneliness.

Tait said though pandemic restrictions have lifted, people are continuing to be isolated, leading to increased levels of anxiety and depression.

She often hears stories from participants, and the majority say the regular calls make them feel safer, less lonely, and better able to cope with stress and improve relationships.

The program does not just have benefits for the participants, but also the volunteers who get to hear the relief in the voices of the people on the other end of the phone.

Social Development spokesperson Kate Wright said in an email the Nursing Homes Without Walls program has expanded to 20 sites, and the province is working on adding 10 more locations to the network. this year.

Salmon said since the pilot project started in the Port Elgin region ER visits from seniors 65 and older have decreased 67 per cent, and she noted having volunteers check on seniors can help with distributing medical equipment and other preventative measures.

“It’s a very valuable program,” she said.