Loneliness and social isolation can have devastating impacts on our health and well-being. This is especially true as we age and our social connections change. To help address this issue, The Good Companions Seniors’ Centre (Ottawa, ON) has created a digital program-in-a-box called Community Connections: Phone-Friendly Programming to Build Social Bridges. This self-directed course provides everything you need to design, launch, and sustain a phone-friendly social program for older adults in your community. 

A Proven Model

Since 2015, The Good Companions Seniors’ Centre Without Walls (SCWW) program has demonstrated that accessible, phone-based activities can foster meaningful social connections and enhance well-being.

Building on this success, for several years the organization partnered with the OACAO to promote sector-wide capacity-building in Ontario and beyond by training Seniors’ Active Living Centres, municipalities, non-profits, and other small community agencies—equipping them with the tools and knowledge to start their own programs. Today, a network of organizations are using this model, reaching tens of thousands of people in various provinces across the country.

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What You Get

This digital course is the culmination of everything this network has learned, packaging years of experience, research, and best practices into a lasting resource that empowers organizations to build their own phone-friendly program with confidence.

 Self-paced video tutorials: Clear, actionable guidance that makes implementing the program easy.

• Ready-to-use resources: Program calendars, facilitation guides, program content, outreach materials, checklists, tip sheets, and more.
• Diverse accessibility options: Tools and resources to serve a wide range of participants.
• Real-world insights: Success stories and examples to inspire and inform you.

Discover how simple changes can create lasting connections. Sign up for free to access this resource and lead your community toward greater connection and inclusion.

Meaningful Connections

“Being a full-time caregiver for an even older family member keeps me busy and sometimes feeling reclusive, as a result. These phone activities help me to socialize and connect to others on a fun basis and to help to keep my own brain active, while having a break just for pleasure.”

“I look forward to the call each week. I live in a remote area that doesn’t even have a restaurant anymore. The hour is filled with laughs. It is nice to talk to people and hear others on the phone. You know you’re not alone or the only one in that situation. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.”

“I used to be lonely and could go for days without talking to anyone. But I do not feel lonely or isolated anymore. I tell everyone the people on these calls are like my family.”

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For more information, please visit www.thegoodcompanions.ca.  Please direct any questions to scww@thegoodcompanions.ca

 

Funding for this project was generously provided by The Waltons Trust.

 

 

 

 

In the media:

Ontario Supports Telephone-Based Social and Educational Programs for Seniors

Seniors Staying Connected During COVID-19: The Agenda with Steve Paikin

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In partnership with the Older Adult Centres’ Association of Ontario and The Good Companions Seniors’ Centre