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By hosting weekly telephone groups using Togetherly, Age UK Bristol have been able to keep difficult to reach older people socially connected. See how...
Age UK Bristol is an independent local charity, federated to Age UK (as a local partner) working together with and for older people locally, regionally and nationally.
The charity covers the City and County of Bristol, one of the largest cities in Britain and the largest conurbation in the South West.
My role is Community Services Manager and I am responsible for ensuring the delivery of high quality community services for older people.
We chose Togetherly because its’ accessibility features are perfect for our users
Following the COVID lockdowns in 2020 we faced a situation where we had to support older people who were required to shield/self-isolate and were at risk of loneliness.
Because we were unable to have face-to-face contact and many of the people we support did not have access to the internet, we needed a way of reaching them in a way that was both accessible and familiar and discovered a service that has since become Togetherly.
We were really unsure as to whether some of our older service users would be able to access the service as they can often have physical or cognitive challenges that can make even using the telephone difficult.
How simple it was to use. We can dial out to people who would struggle to join the call independently and we can also provide a freephone number for those who wish to dial-in.
Also, how very friendly and supportive the Togetherly staff have been; offering training and problem fixes if we get stuck.
The biggest impact is that our members love the calls! So much so, we have continued the weekly calls when lockdown was lifted and made them a part of our permanent service offering.
In addition, it’s enabled us to monitor our call usage, including number of guests, number of minutes used and how much money we have spent.
I live alone and I have Parkinsons so I can't get out. The calls have given me something to look forward to and I would say are the highlight of my week.
Age UK Service UserAny organisations that provide support to older people, especially those who are digital isolated and at risk of loneliness.
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