Town seeking volunteers to visit or provide telephone reassurance to local seniors

Programs enhance wellness through the prevention of social isolation 

The Town of St. Marys Senior Services Department is tackling the issue of social isolation among seniors through its volunteer visiting and telephone reassurance programs, which are partially funded by the South West Local Health Integration Network (LHIN). As the number of citizens entering their golden years continues to grow, so has the need for such services. Both programs currently have a waiting list, which is why the Town is hoping Chris Brekelmans and Grace Brown’s story will inspire more volunteers to step forward.

There are many ways Chris has volunteered for Town of St. Marys Senior Services for the past six years – providing shopping services, greeting patrons at the welcome desk, delivering meals and teaching fitness classes – but none have been quite as personal as her time as a Volunteer Visitor.

You get to “build a relationship and a friendship,” says Chris, who has done just that with 89 year-old Grace Brown.

Grace raised her family in St. Marys before moving to Toronto. She recently returned to be closer to her daughter Eleanor. Eleanor, who also volunteered for Senior Services, introduced her mother, who currently resides alone in an apartment, to the visiting program. Eleanor was traveling out east at the time, and it gave her peace of mind that someone would visit her mother while she was gone.

Grace describes her first meeting with her Volunteer Visitor Chris as friendship at first sight: “It was like I’ve known her for a long time, but we had just met.”

Chris chimes in: “Now we’re like family.”

During their visits Chris and Grace would go walking in nearby gardens or along the river or simply watch their favourite television programs. Grace has low vision due to glaucoma, so Chris would fill her in on the latest news stories.

“I’ve never been lonely,” said Grace, “but [Chris] fills a void and lets me know what’s happening in different places.”

Grace and Chris’ story is just one example of how the service has changed the lives of both its volunteers and clients. The Volunteer Visitor program is very flexible and volunteers are well supported,

“You can volunteer as much or as little as you like,” says Town of St. Marys Senior Services Supervisor Jenny Mikita, “We also have a telephone check-in program for those who would rather connect with a local senior over the phone. Either way, we’ll work with you to ensure it’s a great match.”

To learn more about volunteering, contact Jenny Mikita at 519-284-2340, ext. 629 or volunteer@town.stmarys.on.ca.

To learn more about support services offered by the Town, contact 519-284-3272 or homesupport@town.stmarys.on.ca.

Additional Information

National Seniors Council. (2017, April 26). Who's at risk and what can be done about it? A review of the literature on the social isolation of different groups of seniors. Retrieved March 13, 2018, from https://www.canada.ca/en/national-seniors-council/programs/publications-reports/2017/review-social-isolation-seniors.html

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Contact

Stacey Wheal | Corporate Communications Specialist
519-284-2340, ext. 429 | swheal@town.stmarys.on.ca