Tel Aviv employees call elderly to curb loneliness during COVID lockdown
Workers from all municipal departments are participating in the effort, having conducted more than 37,000 phone calls to date and receiving responses from senior residents.
By OMRI RONThe streets of Tel Aviv are seen empty as Israel's second lockdown goes into effect on Shabbat, September 2020(photo credit: AVSHALOM SASSONI)
In an attempt to curb the loneliness epidemic accompanying the coronavirus one, especially among the elderly, approximately 200 employees of Tel Aviv-Yafo Municipality have begun to make phone calls to elderly citizens.The callers check on the elderly person's well being and identify any needs resulting from the current lockdown. Any details recorded are then transferred to social workers employed by the municipality's social services department.Workers from all municipal departments are participating in the effort. They have conducted more than 37,000 phone calls to date and receive responses from senior residents, who have often found themselves isolated from family members.The senior population is considered to be an at-risk group, further increasing the risks of loneliness and anxiety among them.The Tel Aviv Municipality has launched several initiatives during the coronavirus crisis tailored for the elderly population, and in accordance with Health Ministry guidelines. These include outdoor events, support groups using WhatsApp and Zoom, and providing tablet computers so that they can stay in touch with family members.In addition, the municipality has launching its own app called 106+ to help the elderly call for assistance with food and medication delivery, or to receive important information or general assistance from municipal welfare services, as well as allowing neighbors to do so."Nobody is left behind in Tel Aviv-Yafo! During this time of uncertainty, anxiety and confusion, a phone call from a municipal representative is sometimes the only human connection to the outside world that is available to senior residents," said Ron Huldai, Mayor of Tel Aviv-Yafo."I am proud of the municipal workers who mobilized themselves to assist in the battle against COVID-19 and ensure the continued proper functioning of the city," he said.
