The Elderly Helpline: 48% of elderly people do not have access to essential day-to-day information, and 53% live alone
The Elderly Helpline: 48% of elderly people do not have access to essential day-to-day information, and 53% live alone
Ranking of the needs of seniors who contacted the dedicated helpline for elderly people in Romania in 2023
- Nearly 12,000 phone calls registered by the Elderly Helpline in 2023
- 2,200 unique callers contacted the Elderly Helpline for guidance and counselling
- 46% are from rural areas or small towns, and 32% are aged between 70 and 80
- Access to information and practical support remain among the top expressed needs
- 15 January 2024 In 2023, the licensed social service Elderly Helpline, the only free national telephone line dedicated to seniors, operated by The Margareta of Romania Royal Foundation, registered 11,991 phone conversations with elderly people and their relatives from across the country. Callers benefited from information, social counselling, guidance, material support, or emotional support.
Out of the total number of senior callers, 2,228 contacted the helpline for the first time. Of these, 46% come from rural areas and small towns, 48% requested useful information for daily living, 32% are aged between 70 and 80, and 53% live alone. Romania’s population continues to age.In 2023, statistical data provided by the National Institute of Statistics regarding elderly people in Romania remained concerning: the resident population of elderly people over the age of 65 exceeds 3.7 million, and nearly 1.9 million of them live alone —taking into account seniors who have lost their partners as well as those who are unmarried or divorced. According to statistical indicators from the National House of Public Pensions regarding Pillar I, the average state social insurance pension in 2023 was RON 2,006, highlighting the financial difficulties that many elderly people face on a daily basis.
Elderly Helpline, a map of social services and a social counselling centre for the country’s seniors
Established eight years agoin response to the ageing population, the licensed social service The Elderly Helpline maps the needs faced by Romania’s seniors based on requests received from Elderly Helpline social service maps the needs faced by Romania’s seniors based on requests expressed by over 17,500 unique callers, beneficiaries of the programme unique callers, beneficiaries of the programfrom all regions of the country. By calling the free number 0800 460 001, seniors burdened by worries, material deprivation, poor health, and loneliness found a listening ear, comfort, guidance, social and psychological counselling, as well as practical and material support.
In 2023, the dedicated team—made up of four full-time social workers, 15 volunteers providing weekly follow-up calls, and five volunteer psychologists—offered practical solutions and emotional support for the everyday challenges faced by elderly people.
Real needs, specialised responses, and up-to-date information at the Elderly Helpline
Once again in 2023, the top reason for calling the helpline remained access to practical, useful, and trustworthy information that is not easily accessible to all elderly people. Modern information channels, digital communication, an increasingly technology-driven society, the migration of young families in recent years, as well as marginalisation or discrimination against elderly people, place many of them in situations of social isolation. A total of 1,059 seniors received free and easy access to relevant contacts and up-to-date information for specific situations from the helpline’s specialised team of social workers, who operate with a database containing over 450 public institutions, social services, and private providers offering services dedicated to seniors.
In 2023, the need for care and practical support at home ranked second among the reasons for calling. For 869 callers, Elderly Helpline provided information on available specialised services, references for residential care homes for elderly people, institutionalisation procedures, available community resources, and recommendations for institutions offering home medical care.
Third in the ranking of calls were requests for financial and material support, made by 327 seniors.The Elderly Helpline team guided these elderly people towards appropriate community resources operated by local social assistance directorates or NGOs. In some cases, the Foundation also provided direct support to seniors facing precarious living conditions through social vouchers, hygiene supplies, and essential goods via The Fund for the Elderly.
Seeking emotional support, 142 seniors contacted the Elderly Helpline for the first time Elderly Helpline in 2023, dealing with loneliness or current social or personal challenges. Callers were referred to NGOs providing specialised services within their communities. Throughout the year 275 seniors benefited from emotional support through weekly calls from social workers and specially trained volunteers from the Foundation’s team. Elderly people in urgent need also received free psychological counselling from volunteer psychologists.
Limited opportunities for social participation or for having a role after retirement lead to feelings of uselessness, which overwhelm many elderly people. For the 105 seniors who expressed a desire to remain active,information was provided about volunteering opportunities in the community, such as The Generations Centres,, , participation in activities organised by senior clubs in their communities, or joining the Seniors’ TeleClub—a virtual meeting space that allows seniors to connect, socialise, and share common experiences, moderated by dedicated professionals from Elderly Helpline.
At The Elderly Helpline, seniors receive targeted, practical, and up-to-date information and find solutions to the diverse problems they face. Calls can be made to 0800 460 001, , Monday to Friday between 08:00–20:00, and Saturday between 08:00–16:00.
Elderly Helpline is a social project supported in 2023 by Vodafone Romania Foundation, the National Lottery Company of Romania, Alliance Healthcare, and Johnson Wax.
About The Margareta of Romania Royal Foundation
Founded in 1990 by Her Majesty Margareta, Custodian of the Romanian Crown, together with her father, King Michael, The Margareta of Romania Royal Foundation is today a leading non-governmental organisation that supports children, young people, and elderly people through sustainable interventions based on the exchange of experience and values between generations Over more than 33 years of activity, the Foundation has developed numerous long-term projects in the fields of education, community development, civil society, health, and culture — projects that have contributed to Romania’s spiritual and social renewal. The Margareta of Romania Royal Foundation supports elderly people through programmes designed to improve their quality of life, involving volunteers and mobilising institutional partners and the wider community. The most recent initiatives include the Elderly Fund, The Elderly Helpline and the Generations Community Centers. More details are available at fundatiaregala.ro/.
