by Terry Englehart

Telephone conference calls facilitate lifelong learning and social contact for homebound elders.

“Do you all have your passports ready?” asked Fay, the ship’s captain.

“Yes, but I’ve lost my luggage!” exclaimed one harried individual in the crowd of tourists on this Caribbean cruise.

“Didn’t you attach your luggage tag?” asked another.

Caught up in the laughter and comments about the heat, 40 elders were embarking on a unique adventure to the islands -- and they were nowhere near the ocean.

This particular voyage was taking place on the telephone as one of the events offered by Senior Center Without Walls (SCWW), a free telephone activities program for homebound elders in the San Francisco Bay Area. SCWW had scheduled the so-called trip with the assistance of Fay, a program participant who had grown up in Barbados and was excited about sharing her experiences.

Fay prepared a cruise packet complete with a brochure, passport, boarding pass and luggage tags. SCWW staff provided photos and paper cocktail umbrellas. These items were mailed out, and travelers all phoned in at the appointed time. In addition to enjoying the novelty of a phone cruise with friends, participants learned a bit about the geography, cuisine, languages, and flora and fauna of the Caribbean Islands.

Virtual events such as this one are becoming a hallmark of Senior Center Without Walls, recipient of the 2008 MindAlert Award presented by the American Society on Aging and MetLife Foundation for programs designed to enhance mental fitness for older adults. Stimulated by facilitators and participants alike, imaginations soar at a Fourth of July parade, birthday parties, zoo visits and other events. Mailings preceding events may include colorful invitations, photos, trinkets and, in the case of a botanical garden tour, bagged sprigs of aromatic plants.

A community of homebound elders, who once may have felt isolated and alone, has sprung up on the accessible and low-tech telephone.

A Sense of Belonging

Many studies have shown that social engagement is crucial to most elders’ physical and mental well-being. The declining health of isolated individuals can prevent them from leaving their homes to engage with others. SCWW attempts to reverse this cycle of decline by providing a vibrant telephone-based community. One disabled participant who is unable to leave her home alone wrote this note to the program shortly after registering: “Your neat program is breaking through the isolation tremendously!”

Rita, another participant, beautifully expressed her feelings about the program: “Senior Center Without Walls is really about removing the walls between us -- creating connections on the phone with people who would otherwise not know each other. This is what SCWW has done for me and others.”

Creating a sense of belonging is what happens in the Gratitude Group, which several participants initiated and continue to facilitate. Twice a day -- 20 minutes in the morning and again in the evening -- callers come together to share what they feel thankful for. One might mention the warmth and comfort of a hot cup of tea, and another might express gratitude for just waking up that morning. A newcomer reported that the first time she called in to Gratitude, she didn’t feel particularly thankful for anything, yet at the end of the 20 minutes, not only did she feel uplifted and included, she happily realized she had many things for which to be grateful.

Several other activities encourage a sense of community: one-to-one phone calls that SCWW staff or volunteers make outside of the groups to participants; the facilitation of a phone-number exchange among members who have formed friendships; and a weekly SCWW Spotlight, during which one of the participants or facilitators is interviewed on a conference call.

Among the more than 40 weekly groups that SCWW offers are several brain aerobics classes involving number games, quizzes and word challenges; creative endeavors of poetry writing, storytelling and improvisation; support groups for those suffering from chronic pain, depression or loss; and discussions of philosophy, current events or unusual court cases. Every Tuesday, callers listen to an interview with an expert on a particular health or safety issue and are invited to ask questions or talk about their related experiences.

Giving Back

Participants themselves are encouraged to facilitate groups if they have a desire and an ability to do so. Those who facilitate groups have expressed a feeling of empowerment and a sense of giving back to the community. A “Hanging Out” group facilitated by participants and open to all members of the community meets often on the phone. Together, they watch fireworks, tune in to televised events like the World Series or Academy Awards, celebrate birthdays, talk about anything under the sun and just hang out with one another.

AARP consultant Roger Anunson, creator of MemAerobics, initiated the Brain Health Armchair Ambassadors group. This group meets occasionally on the phone to hear about recent research in brain fitness and to discuss what this might mean in their lives. The participants then spread the word to neighbors, family and SCWW members who were unable to be on the call.

Making a Difference

Virtually all respondents who anonymously submitted evaluations of the program agreed that SCWW has made a difference in their lives. Their comments attest to the positive effect the program has had on their cognitive vitality, their sense of purpose and their feeling of community. “I find it has given me purpose in several areas,” wrote one participant. “It provides an outlet to talk about current events and listen to others’ views [and] encourages my ability to formulate concepts and express them via poetry. It is attending a discussion group -- or listening to an autobiography. It is meeting new people who become friends, wishing for more conversations. My days are arranged according to the telephone conversations!”

Another participant summed up her appreciation more succinctly: “It jump-starts the batteries in my brain!”

Terry Englehart is the founding director of Senior Center Without Walls, a nondenominational outreach program cosponsored by Episcopal Senior Communities and St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Oakland, Calif. Contact her at info@seniorcenterwithoutwalls.org.

Copyright © 2009 American Society on Aging; all rights reserved. This article may not be duplicated or distributed in any form without written permission from the publisher: American Society on Aging, 71 Stevenson St., Suite 1450, San Francisco, CA 94105-2938; e-mail: permissions@asaging.org.