TOLEDO (WTOL) - A new program in our area aims to make sure senior citizens dealing with medical issues don’t feel alone.
ProMedica has partnered with the Area Office of Aging and have launched a new program called Neighbors Calling Neighbors.
The goal is to have volunteers take time, about 30 minutes a week, to call older patients who have been shown to be at risk of being socially isolated.
Social isolation has been discovered to be a health hazard that increases mortality in adults aged 55 and older.
The calls are a simple act that could have a positive impact for people in need and alone.
“8,000 of our patients have screened positive for at least one need, and 11 percent of them are social isolated. So right there, that’s roughly 800 people. And seniors comprise the highest proportion of that population,” said Joe Jardine, Clinical director for ProMedica Social Determinants of Health.
If you’re interested in signing up as a volunteer for this program, you can contact the Area Office on Aging at (419) 382-0624.