If you're 55+ and feeling lonely, Call2Talk's free, in-person support group, Senior Connections, can help. Through laughs, honest conversations and informative presentations, participants realize that they are not alone.
The group meets once a month in the United Way building at 46 Park St. in Framingham. Facilitator, Bob Crook, a longtime Call2Talk volunteer and a senior himself, said it helps to know others feel the same way.
"You get people sitting around saying, 'Ain't it awful being old," he joked, but "at the same time talking about what they've done in their lives."
Crook said seniors, and in particular men over 55, can benefit from emotional support. Suicide rates are high for men between ages 55-75 and women age 55-84, given risk factors that include the loss of a loved one, loneliness, chronic pain, physical illness, loss of independence, and feelings of abandonment.
Crook encouraged anyone who is living alone at home, or wanting to make friends and connections to come check it out.
The group meets on the second Wednesday of the month from 1-2pm. "That just makes it easier for people to remember," Crook said.
The MetroWest Regional Transit Authority's bus stops right outside for anyone who needs transportation. "You get dropped off right behind the building, you jump in the elevator and it's right upstairs," he said.
The sessions allow for chatting, as well as exercises and presentations to learn about community resources. A Deputy Chief from the Framingham Fire Department came in recently to give safety tips for seniors, including keeping flashlights on hand and providing rescuers with a key ahead of time, so they can let themselves into the home when answering a 911 call.
"That was fascinating," Crook said. "He did a really nice job."
The Department maintains a database and keeps these keys in a lockbox, so that they don't have to break down the door at 2am. He said the fear of that might stop people from calling 911 in an emergency.
"In the middle of the winter you don't want that to happen," Crook said, so this is a way to allay the someone living alone and keep them safer.
The group also learns about the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline which anyone can call if they're in despair. The age group is one that Call2Talk focuses on with its outbound call program, TeleCheck, focused on the emotional wellbeing of older adults living alone.
The group is one of Call2Talk's two in-person support group, along with one geared toward women who have lost a partner to suicide.
Anyone who has questions or is interested in attending Senior Connections, can contact Bob Crook at bobcrook@comcast.net.