ALONE, the national organisation supporting older people to age at home are calling on members of the public in Donegal to volunteer some of their time to support older people in their local area through its Telephone Support and Befriending service.
ALONE’s Support and Befriending connects with Older People who have requested a call, to provide friendship, advice and offer information on health and wellbeing, and how to get involved in local activities and relevant initiatives.
Research shows that 6 in 10 people contacting ALONE report being lonely, and look to our services for support.
One of the ways we do that is by offering our Telephone Support & Befriending services, but we need volunteers all over the country to meet the rising demand and to connect with older people who have requested the service. The need is in towns, villages and cities across the country.
This is a great opportunity to support people in your own community and it can be done from your own home. With all training and support provided by the quality assured volunteer programme ALONE offer.
Ireland is the loneliest country in the EU, based on an EU-wide survey by the European Commission last year and we are looking for your help to combat this harmful condition that effects people’s mental and physical health.
In the first 3 months of 2024, ALONE’s data showed that 17% of older people newly contacting ALONE had not been out socially in the past six months. Older people ALONE work with are some of the most isolated people in Ireland. We need volunteers to reach them and help change their lives for the better.
Studies have linked loneliness to depression and mental health difficulties and to diseases such as Parkinson’s, diabetes, cancers, strokes, and even early death.
ALONE CEO Seán Moynihan said “We know from our own evidence that loneliness consistently ranks as the number one support issue requested, and it has a severe impact on our physical and mental health.
“We would ask anybody with a few hours to spare in their week to consider volunteering with ALONE’s Telephone Support & Befriending service and help to support people in their local area who sometimes just need to hear another voice or share a story. This can be done from the comfort of your own home at a time that suits you.”
He continued “Our staff, volunteers and partners are holding the line as best we can but loneliness must be dealt with as a public health issue with the relevant public health response for all age groups.”
ALONE’s Telephone Support & Befriending provides all training and learnings to help support you with your volunteering role, more can be found out about this role at alone.ie/volunteer or by calling 0818 222 024. Volunteers can offer their time between 8am-8pm, 7 days a week.
ALONE has been at the forefront of combating loneliness among older people in Ireland for over four decades, including as a founding member of the Loneliness Taskforce, a partnership of 12 organisations and academics from across society and representing people of all ages committed to ending loneliness.
Research funded by the Health Research Board and ALONE, hosted by Trinity College Institute of Neuroscience (TCIN), showed that ALONE’s unique Support and Befriending services for older people can reduce health decline and suppress the negative impacts of loneliness on health.
