Date: 4/19/2021
Solitary confinement was intended to be the harshest of punishments, yet many of our nations’ most vulnerable older adults spend hours, or even days, without any type of human contact. Social isolation affects nearly one in five older adults. Loneliness and social isolation can contribute to high blood pressure, a greater risk of heart disease, a weakened immune system, and earlier onset of dementias like Alzheimer’s Disease. Social isolation is as bad for your health as smoking 15 cigarettes a day.
All older adults are ultimately faced with one or more of the following: physical disabilities, declining mobility, shrinking social networks, bereavement, loss of a driver’s license, and hearing and sight impairments. These often lead to social isolation and loneliness. COVID-19 has only exacerbated this problem, placing more elders at risk. “Chronic loneliness can contribute to major health problems. The older we get, the more we need to have people around us, supporting not only our physical wellbeing, but nurturing our social health as well,” states Ann Andras, South Hadley Council on Aging Social Services coordinator.
How can we help combat this increasing issue facing our most vulnerable seniors? Through a new “social calls” program called South Hadley Senior Connections (SHSC), which is being facilitated by the Friends of the South Hadley Seniors. SHSC seeks to provide valuable social connections for those who lack support and may be at an elevated risk of loneliness or social isolation. This type of social calls program exists in communities throughout the country and has proven that regular social conversations make a positive difference in the lives of BOTH participants and volunteers.
The Friends of South Hadley Seniors has partnered with the South Hadley Council on Aging to promote communication with regard to the service to local older adults. Leslie Hennessey, South Hadley’s Council on Aging director states, “The South Hadley Council on Aging is pleased to be working in partnership with the Friends of the South Hadley Seniors on the South Hadley Senior Connections Project. The effects of social isolation and loneliness experienced by many of our older adults during the pandemic have been devastating. The special nature of the SHSC project offers support, friendship and connectedness that will be a welcome resource for the community.”
The Friends are seeking volunteers who are looking for a meaningful and rewarding way to serve the South Hadley community and who are interested in making these regular social calls to seniors. Volunteers will be prepared with a two-hour long training that reviews the basics and helps them get comfortable with various situations and challenges that may occur. Topics will include items such as establishing a rapport, supportive listening, and communicating with seniors with hearing, visual, and cognitive impairments. Additional resources for follow-up training and community referrals will also be provided. Not only do the seniors of South Hadley receive a valuable service but those volunteering their time also reap the benefits of a greater sense of purpose, increased self-confidence, lower incidence of depression, and improved physical health. Karen Buscemi, nurse practitioner and organizer of the SHSC program states, “I am thrilled to be a part of bringing this program to South Hadley. South Hadley Senior Connections will not only create joy and companionship for South Hadley’s community dwelling seniors, but it will foster a sense of belonging and purpose.”
Please consider volunteering to offer a simple action that will make a huge difference. Be the one to brighten someone’s day! To volunteer to make a social connection with a local senior please call Karen Buscemi, NP at 531-7640 or Email Gretta Tucker at grettatucker43@gmail.com
Karen Buscemi, NP
Board member, Friends of the South Hadley Seniors
