Elderly Helpline launches new services in the context of the coronavirus crisis
- Social isolation means loneliness and lack of access to services for the elderly
- Elderly Helpline opens new services and supplements the team of specialists
- Elderly people can now call for psychological counseling and emotional support, as well as to place orders with home delivery, at the number 0800-460-001
Elderly Helpline is the only free and confidential helpline dedicated to seniors across the country, accessible from any network, available Monday to Friday from 8 AM to 8 PM, and on Saturdays from 8 AM to 4 PM.
Amid the crisis caused by the coronavirus, social isolation is the most effective preventive measure, officially recommended by authorities and specialists. In the current context, 3.7 million seniors in Romania avoid the risk of infection only if they stay at home, but this is impossible for those who have no one left. The national helpline Elderly Helpline announces the opening of new support services for elderly people and the expansion of the team of specialists and volunteers in the upcoming period. At the number 0800-460-001, they will promptly respond to requests and concerns raised by seniors in Romania.
A team of specialists consisting of 5 psychologists, 3 social workers, and 20 volunteers is prepared to offer psychological counseling and emotional support to elderly individuals who are dealing with anxiety or depression, conditions intensified by isolation and amplified by the intense media coverage related to the coronavirus and the risk of death. For elderly people living alone, the loneliness relief service is available, which means they will receive calls once or twice a week from social workers or project volunteers. The purpose of these calls is to check the situation of the elderly and offer personalized support appropriate to the current context.
In order to comply with the isolation measure, avoid travel, and crowded places, over 20 volunteers are assisting elderly individuals by doing online shopping for them. Through Elderly Helpline online orders for food and essential goods will be placed, with delivery and payment through courier directly to the elderly person's home. This initiative comes in a context where elderly people's access to the internet is limited, and their digital skills are reduced.
About The Elderly Helpline
Elderly Helpline answers with heart to the elderly in Romania and has managed over 40,000 telephone interactions, providing practical information, social counseling, and solutions for alleviating loneliness. Elderly Helpline was designated the best Social Assistance Services project in Romania at the Civil Society Gala in 2019. Elderly Helpline is a project of the Margareta of Romania Royal Foundation, launched in 2015 with the support of Connecting for Good funding. More details are available at fundatiaregala.ro/ and www.telefonulvarstnicului.ro .
