• Between March 2020 and March 2021, 19,200 calls were recorded by the social service Elderly Helpline
• Requests for information and material and financial assistance ranked at the top of needs

 

Bucharest, April 26, 2021 – Between March 2020 and March 2021, a period marked by new socio-health conditions, the free helpline The Elderly Phone recorded 19,200 interactions with beneficiaries from all regions of the country, with 3,982 seniors finding resources and solutions here for the various problems they faced.

Elderly Helpline is the only free and confidential helpline that offers solutions to the needs of elderly people in Romania. The project was launched by The Margareta of Romania Royal Foundation in 2015 in response to the aging population issue and received total funding of 837,500 lei from the Vodafone Romania Foundation.

In 2020, the service recorded the highest number of requests and unique callers since its establishment: 16,673 phone conversations with 3,424 elderly callers. To cope with the increased number of calls, the team of social workers and volunteers was expanded, and, once the state of emergency was declared, 14 psychologists also joined the team as volunteers. For over 250 elderly people facing material deprivation, social vouchers or aid packages were distributed.

Of the nearly 4,000 unique callers who contacted the Elderly Helpline during the pandemic, 29% were from Bucharest, and 37% from rural and small urban areas. In terms of age and living situation, 29% were between 70 and 80 years old, and 38% lived alone.

Following the analysis of available data, the top needs expressed by elderly callers—ranked equally—were the need for useful and up-to-date information about services available in their communities and the need for financial and material support. Thus, 1,300 elderly people requested information they could not access on their own, either due to isolation or inability to use new communication technologies. Another 1,300 elderly people requested financial and material support.

Second in the ranking of needs was the need for care and practical support at home. For 764 callers, the helpline team provided information about medical care services or specialized supervision, as well as references to care homes for elderly people and institutionalization procedures.

Social isolation led to a deepening sense of loneliness among elderly people, with manifestations of anxiety or depression. For those who experienced such states and called Elderly Helpline, social workers and volunteer psychologists provided psychological counseling and emotional support. 150 elderly people were enrolled in the weekly call-back service or referred to partner organizations.

The need to remain active and socially involved was expressed by 90 elderly callers who said they felt overwhelmed by a sense of uselessness caused by retirement and the loss of a social role. For them, Elderly Helpline proposed community volunteering activities, as well as opportunities for connection and socialization through participation in clubs and programs for elderly people. The Generations Community Center, the Bucharest Municipality Senior Center, and the Never Alone Association are among the programs and clubs that adapted their activities to the online environment in order to continue supporting elderly participants.

A new type of request that emerged during the pandemic concerned assistance with purchasing food, medicines, and hygiene products, addressed through sponsorships and the development of partnerships.

Elderly Helpline is more necessary than ever in a society characterized by an acute lack of public and private social services dedicated to elderly people, offering concrete support to elderly individuals living in precarious conditions.

The service is free of charge and can be accessed Monday to Friday between 08:00–20:00 and on Saturdays between 08:00–16:00, at 0800 460 001.

The National Lottery Company of Romania and S.C. Johnson Wax joined the project as sponsors.

About the Vodafone Romania Foundation

The Vodafone Romania Foundation is a Romanian non-governmental organization with charitable status, distinct and independent from the company’s commercial operations, established in 1998. Over more than 20 years of activity, the Vodafone Romania Foundation has funded 1,168 programs run by 745 NGOs nationwide in the fields of health, education, and social services. The projects have benefited over 3 million people—children, young people, elderly people, and individuals disadvantaged physically, socially, or economically. To date, the Vodafone Romania Foundation has invested €31 million in projects carried out by partner non-profit organizations. More details about the Foundation’s programs are available at www.fundatia-vodafone.ro, http://jurnaldebine.fundatiavodafone.ro/ și www.facebook.com/fundatiavodafone.