Our focus is to enhance their quality of life through social wellbeing, made possible by the kind volunteers for our visiting service.
Friendship is a vital part of maintaining wellbeing at any age, as well as improving overall health.
A study conducted by University of Otago researchers has found that loneliness is associated with reduced quality of life and typically worsens with ageing.
Social isolation is associated with a wide range of conditions such as hypertension, cardiovascular disease, dementia, depression, and insomnia.
Age Concern Otago’s visiting service matches volunteers with older people in the community who would like companionship.
The service is free and confidential, and is designed to give older people a special visitor — someone to spend valuable and quality time on a regular basis.
The value of the personal relationship is very important to those involved.
Many of our members have said they would be lost without their visitors, that they look forward to the visits, and treasure the friendships they have made.
The visiting service carefully matches an older person with a volunteer visitor, with consideration to their background and interests.
If you would like to become a volunteer or to receive a visitor, please make contact with Age Concern Otago on 479-3058.
