Telephone Reassurance Program Helps Isolated Seniors
There's a program that's been helping to ease the problem of isolation among Calhoun County senior citizens, and even though it's been around for five years, the COVID-19 crisis has made it more needed than ever.
Telephone Reassurance is a grassroots program supported by local agencies; such as CareWell Services, Calhoun County Senior Services, Chapel Hill United Methodist Church, LifeCare Ambulance, Senior Times South Central Michigan and The Village of Mill Creek.
The Telephone Reassurance Program was created for people who are home bound and want to remain independent, or for people who are home from the hospital and recuperating, and for caregivers as well.
Pat Fosdick was a guest the MIles for Memories segment on the 95.3 WBCK Morning Show with Tim Collins. She explained that Telephone Reassurance volunteers call shut-ins on a routine basis for social contact and to assure that their needs are being met. In the case of the caregiver, the caller can offer a little extra social contact and encouragement. Some call recipients prefer a daily contact while others may prefer once or twice a week. It’s really for them to decide what their needs are. Call times can be scheduled for the time of day that is best for the recipient. In the case of the caregiver, the best time might be when their loved one is resting or napping.
There is a referral and application process. If you want additional information or would like to sign up for the program, there are two contact locations:
- Battle Creek Area: 269-963-0746
- Albion or Marshall Area: 517-629-3842.
Neither location is staffed at this time, but please leave a message and your call will be returned.
And, there’s always a need for Volunteer Callers. If you’re a good listener, have a friendly voice and be able to commit to 2 hours a month to the service, please consider volunteering. It is such a heartwarming, gratifying program. The people you call are so appreciative of the contact and especially now with the Shelter-in-Place environment.
Fosdick says that training is being done by Carewell Services.
Miles for Memories is creating solutions for those impacted by dementia in Calhoun County through movement, programming and research.
https://www.facebook.com/milesformemoriesmichigan/
Here are some tips for self-care during the pandemic:
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