New Age Scotland service offers daily phone check-ins for older people in Scotland

A new service which provides a daily call to older people has been launched by Age Scotland.

The new service named “Good Day Calls”, which is launching to coincide with International Day of Older People (1st October), aims to tackle loneliness and provide older people and their families security and support so that they can live well and independently in their own home.

The service brings reassurance to older people, and their family, that someone will call to speak with them 365 days a year as a check in ensuring they are well, offer support and have a friendly chat.

Good Day Calls will be made from Orkney where charity brand partner Age Scotland Orkney have already been operating this service for local older people.

Age Scotland’s Good Day Calls service operates as part of its social enterprise arm and costs of £50 per month. The service’s small profit margins are reinvested back into the charity’s activities to improve the lives of older people in Scotland.

Age Scotland will be offering this service for free to a number of older people it identifies who are on low incomes and cannot afford it.

Good Day Calls is part of Age Scotland’s new Independent Living service which includes it’s free information and advice helpline for older people, their Community Connecting service to tackle loneliness and isolation, Care and Repair Edinburgh, and Fire Service home safety checks.

The service will not operate in Glasgow so not to compete with the established ‘Good Morning Service’ there.

Age Scotland’s Chief Executive , Brian Sloan said:

“We know that more older people are living alone in Scotland and may not have regular visitors. Some feel lonely from time to time and worry that no one will notice if they take ill or are not up and about in the morning.

“It can also be hard for family members who lead busy lives to find the time to check in every day. Our phone calls will put everyone’s minds at ease and ensure that the visits and phone calls from family and friends are focussed on spending quality time together.

“We want older people to live independently in their own home for as long as possible but they may need some extra support, advice or friendship. Our ‘Good Day Calls’ will help with this.

“We are also committed to ensuring this doesn’t exclude people on low incomes who really need the service. To do this we have set aside money from the charity to pay for people we have identified that will benefit from this and improve their quality of life.

“For the cost similar to a monthly mobile phone contract, daily calls of friendship, support and advice can be a lifesaver – tackling loneliness, putting minds at ease and alerting emergency contacts of any causes for concern.”

For more information or to sign up for Good Day Calls for you or someone else click here or call 01856 898 222.