Depression and Suicide Ideation on the Rise Among Seniors

Since the on-set of the pandemic, reports of loneliness, depression and suicide ideation have risen, especially among seniors. This past April, sixty-four percent of people calling Telecare Crisis and Caring Line were over the age of 65, and Telecare shared that this reflects their typical caller demographic.

Callers Over 55
“While we receive calls from people of all ages, the majority of our callers are individuals over 55.” said Bill Strom, Executive Director.  “This reflects what we see in the news weekly--that isolation during COVID-19 has hit mature folks particularly hard, especially those living alone. Our call volume has been up, and our call responders have shown a lot of empathetic compassion. We are grateful to be here for such a time as this.” 

Empathetic Listening

Telecare Crisis & Caring Line supports seniors in our community by providing empathetic listening services, free of charge. The volunteer-driven Christian ministry provides crisis and supportive care to anyone regardless of race, creed, or social standing. The registered charity is based out of Abbotsford and provides telephone befriending, caring, and empathetic listening for people in personal crisis or distress, and for individuals just needing to talk. Telecare receives calls from across the province.

Volunteers are trained in communication, emotional wellness, grief and loneliness. They also refer clients to experienced agencies that might be able to further improve caller well-being.

"You don't need to be in a crisis to call"

“It’s important to know that you don’t need to be in a crisis to call,” commented Strom. “A lot of us have had to make due with limited support from family and friends, so it’s normal to feel lonely and down. Over the last 15 months our team has helped fill that gap for many people just needing to talk to a warm-hearted sympathetic listener.” 

Telecare invites seniors and others from all backgrounds to call if they are experiencing loneliness or hurt. The line is open 9:00am-9:00pm, seven days per week.

For more information about the Telecare services, volunteering or to donate to Telecare, visit www.telecarebc.com 

Written by Patricia Driessen