The Connectors Project
Connecting seniors through translational research.
Project Goal
The aim of this project is to facilitate social connectedness in seniors through community programming. A decline in social connectedness is a significant public health concern as it can result in social isolation and a significant decline in health and wellbeing. Social isolation can lead to worsened health outcomes, including an increase in falls, depression, heart attacks and strokes as well as increased healthcare costs. Current events and research strongly indicate a need for social connectedness in seniors to increase their physical and mental well-being.
“We re-established a connection, because we all desperately needed someone to talk to and, if possible, occasionally get together even if it's sitting on a park bench somewhere and having a coffee….having that connection with other people is so critical, just to be able to share what your feeling…”
“But so the first, you know, the first couple of evenings, weeks, basically, it's only once a week, you know, we just talked and I shared a little bit, but not very much. But as time has going on, now I feel more comfortable. You know, I got to know them a little bit better”
“But every Friday night, a good friend of mine. It's Saturday morning for her. And it's Friday night to me. We do a WhatsApp call. And we talk for half an hour, 45 minutes, which is great.”
“...if it's a very large group, I find that there can be loss of communication completely. That's why I enjoy the breakout rooms if there is a large group.”
“One of my major concerns at this time because of the pandemic is for the elderly, who do not have access to the Internet, and do not have a cell phone.”
“I have a friend...she's finding this whole pandemic experience very difficult. She doesn't have family here...she gets very down and it's so difficult just to know what to say sometimes. I just listened to her for a while and let her express her feelings of isolation.”
“I don't think I'll ever pull back from contacting close friends. It's [the pandemic] been an eye opener, in terms of how we're all sharing, because we're all isolated. You know, we're all in our early 80s or late 70s, early 80s. And, and we're all of us living alone. And it's, it's challenging.”
Funding Declarations
This work was supported by the New Horizons for Seniors Program Grant from the Government of Canada and Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology Grant from the University of Toronto.