LONGMEADOW – Erin Koebler, director of Community Care at Glenmeadow, a life-plan community in Longmeadow, is concerned about the isolation many older adults face. The pandemic is only exacerbating the issue, she said.

“Older adults can easily become isolated from friends, family and the community, putting them at risk for health issues and decline in independence,” Koebler said in a press release on the program. She told Reminder Publishing, “Research shows that social isolation is as deadly as smoking 15 cigarettes a day.”

To combat the problem, Glenmeadow is reinvigorating its Neighbor to Neighbor program, which pairs volunteers and senior “neighbors” for visits. The program began in 2018 with a grant from Greater Springfield Social Services (GSSI). The program serves neighbors at the Glenmeadow facility, as well as those who live at home in the Greater Springfield area.

Prior to the pandemic, up to 30 volunteers visited with neighbors at least once a month, though Koebler said many would stop-in a couple of times each week. Some volunteers left the program when in-person visits became restricted. “The bulk of the volunteers have continued to meet with their neighbors by phone,” she said but noted that phone calls don’t provide the same connection as seeing people face to face.

“We’re really focused on what easy-to-use technology can be used to help make connections,” Koebler said. “And then trying to figure out how to provide technical assistance. Does it mean a visit to their home, masked and distanced?” The technology could help the program in the long term since she said that even after the pandemic, it will take time for people to become comfortable socializing again.

A virtual training for volunteers was conducted in late October and three new volunteers are scheduled to receive training on the program in January. Koebler explained that before people visit the neighbors, they go through a program designed by Baystate Director of Spiritual Care Ute Schmidt to prepare people for “what people might expect when visiting someone in the home,” as well as what to do if a volunteer sees something concerning. The training specifically deals with establishing rapport and being an empathetic listener as well as interacting with those with behavioral, visual, or cognitive impairments.

“That’s a big component,” Koebler said in a press release, adding, “We provide support and networking opportunities for the volunteers.”

Older adults who would like to be a neighbor or those interested in volunteering with the Neighbor to Neighbor program can email n2n@glenmeadow.org or call 567-5977.