How Our Programs Help Reduce Isolation
92%
of clients say interactions with volunteers make them feel less lonely.
73%
of clients who felt lonely felt connected to their meal delivery drivers.
91%
of clients say interactions with volunteers make them feel less lonely.
For some of our clients, the volunteer is the only person they see each day. The brief client-volunteer interaction that occurs at meal delivery provides a social connection that can relieve the feeling of social isolation for our most vulnerable clients. The daily interaction also provides a sense of safety and security for our clients as they continue to age in place, in their own homes.
Sunshine Calls
MOWCTX's holistic approach to senior care includes programs designed to reduce older adult isolation and loneliness. In partnership with Dell Medical School at The University of Texas at Austin, we evaluated the impact of our four-week Sunshine Calls program.
Sunshine Calls was a randomized control trial that evaluated the impact of regular friendly phone calls to homebound older adults. Among the 240 MOWCTX participants who completed the study, researchers found that the calls significantly reduced loneliness, depression, and anxiety while improving overall mental well-being within just four weeks.
Factor Health, based at Dell Medical School at The University of Texas at Austin, develops and tests innovative programs delivered outside of traditional clinical settings to improve health outcomes. The organization partners with social service providers, health care payers, and researchers to bring evidence-based programs to communities.
Citations
1. Health Resources & Services Administration. (2019). The " Loneliness Epidemic ".
2. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2020. Social Isolation and Loneliness in Older Adults: Opportunities for the Health Care System. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press .
