By KYLE DAWSON
GS Communications Assistant
Sometimes a simple phone call can improve a person’s day. With that in mind, the Senior Companion Program at Georgia Southern University has launched the “Love in Action” telephone reassurance program, which provides free wellness checks on older adults in the area via telephone calls.
University students, among others, participate in the initiative, funded by a grant from Statesboro’s Rockin’ Out Alzheimer’s Disease Foundation.
“The telephone reassurance of the student callers will not only be an opportunity to brighten someone’s day, but also creates a social tie, which research shows improves health and longevity,” said Love In Action Director Deb Blackburn. “I am also hopeful that this intergenerational contact will give some students a new appreciation for older adults.”
Darron Burnette, chief financial officer of the Rockin’ Out Alzheimer’s foundation, started the foundation in 2012 in an effort to raise money in memory of his mother who had Alzheimer’s disease and passed away that same year. The foundation has given money it has raised to a variety of organizations related to Alzheimer’s research and the treatment of people with dementia, including multiple groups at Georgia Southern.
Burnette said the COVID-19 pandemic created the opportunity for ROAD to support the Love in Action program.
“During COVID-19, we were trying to figure out how we could help people out there,” said Burnette, who is the Division CEO for Synovus in Statesboro. “We felt like there was an immediate need for us to seek out the Senior Companion Program because of their involvement through the telephone.”
Older adults are among the most vulnerable people in the midst of the pandemic, and wellness checks can be vital during the COVID-19 crisis. The telephone reassurance program will allow the Senior Companion program to provide assistance to seniors who have been on their waiting list, as well as others in the community.
Sociology major Tanaja Armendariz, who was one of the first students to make calls for the program, has enjoyed the experience of getting to know local seniors.
“My favorite part is calling them or their families and explaining what the program is about,” Armendariz said. “I like letting them know that there are people out there who are willing to help in any way that they can. I guess I like giving people hope.”
Rockin’ Out Alzheimer’s co-founder and chief executive officer Chandler Dennard said the Senior Companion Program aligned perfectly with the foundation’s vision, which is to help senior citizens with dementia, as well as caregivers who are caring for dementia patients at home.
“According to the Alzheimer’s Association, 83% of the help provided to older adults in the United States comes from family members, friends or other unpaid caregivers,” Dennard said. “Nearly half of all caregivers who provide help to older adults do so for someone living with Alzheimer’s or another dementia, so looking at that statistic this program fits perfectly. The money will provide the necessary resources for the program to thrive and to continue to impact the community.”
Armendariz said Love in Action has strengthened her belief in the value of helping others in need.
“I’m hoping to reach the people who are in need of help and get them the services they need,” she said. “People should never be isolated and kept away from resources they need. What I will take away from this experience is a positive attitude, and I’ll always lend a helping hand.”
The Senior Companion Program is administered through Georgia Southern’s Center for Social Gerontology, housed within the Department of Sociology and Anthropology.
For more information, visit cbss.georgiasouthern.edu/gerontology/community/senior-companion-program/.