Retirement homes seeking volunteers to serve as companions for residents

For some seniors living in retirement homes, their only companion — outside of staff — can be volunteers who visit them one or two hours a day.

But, according to Cardinal Place in Windsor, the number of volunteers it used to see prior to the pandemic has still not rebounded.

"People are still a little reluctant to come in. We try to keep all the safety measures so everyone is safe when they come in," said Betty Fitzgerald, administrative assistant at Cardinal Place.

Some of the activities that volunteers are asked to do include reading, playing games, making crafts and accompanying residents on bus rides during the home's group outings.

Without those volunteers, residents who do not have family or friends to visit them can experience social isolation, cognitive deficits and mood concerns such as depression and grief.

According to Jenniffer Clifford, operations and clinical manager of geriatrics at Hotel-Dieu Grace Healthcare, that grief can be more "ambiguous."

"So grieving the loss of that social connection or their life that they might have had, prior to coming into that retirement or assisted living setting," said Clifford, adding companionship can provide "purpose" to seniors.

"It's important that we continue to foster these relationship because it helps maintain memory and cognitive functioning. It also improves their physical and emotional health."

Cardinal Place said, pre-COVID, it would previously see two to three community members volunteer every day.

Through a partnership with St. Clair College, students are able to volunteer at Cardinal Place.

But, Fitzgerald said, that program is temporary and sees students stick around for just a few months before they move on to new opportunities.

"We're grateful for the program. We'd just like to enhance it with people in in the community," said Fitzgerald, adding the need for volunteers increases during special occasions such as Thanksgiving and Christmas.

"We're looking for people that can relate, listen, participate and help our seniors."