RVNA Friendly Visitor Program Gets to the Heart of the Matter

“Social connection is key for senior well-being”

As she rang Emily Mayer’s doorbell, RVNA “Friendly Visitor” volunteer Suzanne Conlin wondered whether she and Emily would get along. She didn’t need to worry. “We hit it off as soon as we met!” said Suzanne. “We just started talking about living in Ridgefield, our families, where we came from, and how we got here.”

Emily, 88, lives alone in Ridgefield in a home she has beautifully decorated herself. Her daughter and grandchildren also live in Ridgefield, however, with their busy lives they cannot visit as often as Emily would like. So when Emily heard about RVNA’s Friendly Visitor program, she asked for more details.

Barbara Newland, RVNA Director of Community Health and Wellness, visited Emily, described the program and listened as Emily shared information about herself. After their meeting, Barbara studied her list of program volunteers, chose a candidate – Suzanne – and introduced her to Emily at a subsequent visit.

Afterward, Emily said she would like to meet with Suzanne regularly, and Barbara set up their first visit. Suzanne has visited Emily weekly for three months now. Friendly Visitor visits are normally an hour, however, their chats go far longer.

With one of out of eight Americans now over 65 (more than 41 million as of 2012), loneliness and isolation are becoming critical issues for all of us. The U.S. Administration on Aging says that 28 percent of Americans over 65 live alone and for women, it’s a startling 46 percent. People over 65 have an average life expectancy of almost 20 more years.

“As we get older, our social network tends to decrease for a number of reasons, including the death of a spouse, distance from friends and family, retiring from work and the inability to get around,” said Newland. “Regardless of why, the consequences of feeling lonely or isolated can be difficult and even harmful. The RVNA Friendly Visitor program was created with the hope of offering meaningful social connections for seniors. The simple act of reminiscing and being able to share with another person is so therapeutic.”

If you think you might enjoy the company of an RVNA Friendly Visitor or if you would like to be a Friendly Visitor, please call Barbara Newland at 203-438-5555, extension 1005.

About RVNA

Founded in 1914, RVNA is an accredited non-profit Medicare-certified home healthcare agency that also supports public health and safety, and promotes the highest quality of life.

RVNA provides compassionate care to all individuals, whether young or old, through a continuum of care that encompasses health care at home and in the community. RVNA also provides home health aides and companionship through a non-medical subsidiary called HomeCare by RVNA.

To Contact RVNA

Call RVNA at 203-438-5555. Visit RVNA at www.ridgefieldvna.org.

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Submitted by Wilton, CT

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