Programme: Cork City
WHO Theme: Transportation
Cost: 1000 – 5000
Status: Ongoing
Description
Friendly Call Cork is a free service offering a daily phone to older people or individuals who may feel lonely, isolated, or vulnerable in Cork City and surrounding areas. The service specifically targets people with chronic illness or anyone who cannot engage actively in the community and is a lifeline to many.
It was established in 2010 to address social isolation of older people living in Gurranabraher area of Cork City, extended city-wide in 2011 and now reaches deep into the county with calls to Midleton, Doneraile and Bantry among other locations. It was developed as a direct response to the issues of older people living in the area who were extremely isolated, confined to the home and who did not have any regular callers to them.
Our programme’s ethos values inclusivity seeking to help the most vulnerable in our communities. Social programmes like Friendly Call Cork complement medical treatment and improve outcomes. As the Chief Medical Officer pointed out in her address to our older citizens ‘there is a strong link between loneliness and chronic health conditions’ as well as ‘poorer mental health’.
Our volunteers offer a relaxed chat and check on how the client is doing. If a call is not answered, the volunteer will phone a member of the client’s family, neighbour or friends. The volunteer may also advise clients on other resources locally they could connect to such as Meals-on-Wheels, dementia supports, day centres or social events — our three tea parties (City Hall, Clayton Hotel and Metropole Hotel) were great successes featuring in the Echo and graced by the attendance of the Lord Mayor.
We take referrals come from the HSE, Cork City Council, ALONE and the Garda among others. During Covid 19 we scaled up our capacity rapidly and sustained this post-lockdown with approximately 360 regular clients with more referrals arriving daily. Most of our over 45 volunteers continue to work remotely allowing us to seamlessly provide a service in the event of further public health emergencies or climate events.
We also run a minibus taking vulnerable clients to hospital or other medical appointments which is an invaluable resource and in constant demand. It also assists the local Meals on Wheels with delivery.
Aim of Initiative
Our bus service is under increasing pressure as older people struggle to get to medical appointments here in Cork. There is a shortage of taxis making it often difficult to secure one and the costs of spins to multiple appointments are prohibitive for people surviving on a pension.
Our driver picks clients up from their door, helping them into the bus and ensuring they have someone to help them at their appointment venue. He returns to bring the client safely home when the appointment is finished.
Who is it aimed at
Older people in the community who need to attend medical appointments in hospitals, GP services, dentists, etc.
3 Steps critical to success
- Maintenance of bus over the year
- Running costs of bus such as diesel
- Knowledge of bus service among our clients
3 Challenges in Planning / Delivery
- Funding to maintain the bus — yearly service, tyres etc.
- Funding for ongoing running costs such as diesel
- Co-ordinating the bus schedule
3 Outcomes / Benefits
- Positive health outcomes for clients if they are able to attend medical appointments when required.
- Savings for the health service if clients are seen when indicated rather than missing appointments and their condition potentially worsening.
- Peace of mind for clients, family and health professionals as they know clients will be able to attend required appointments and be brought there safely and returned home by a kind (and Garda vetted) driver.