“The call of loneliness”: the action that reveals the invisible phenomenon affecting nearly 3 million elderly people
The "la Caixa" Foundation has launched an initiative that highlights the importance of listening to elderly people who are alone.
Ring, ringThe phone rings. And it's not just any call. Someone answers: "Hello, how are you?" With this gesture, just three words, a simple question, and under the slogan "Loneliness isn't seen, it's felt," the "la Caixa" Foundation has launched an initiative to raise awareness of a reality affecting nearly three million elderly people in Spain. Through a phone booth, those who answer can learn the stories of Javier, Josep, Maria Teresa, and Blanca. The four share their experiences of unwanted loneliness and their progress after participating in the bank's Siempre Acompanyats (Always Accompanied) program. In this way, the initiative aims to highlight a reality through a phone call that, at the same time, becomes a call to action for society.
Raising awareness and minimizing loneliness
According to the latest study, over 80% of participants experience increased confidence and feel better equipped to cope with loneliness after completing the program, and 85% have a better understanding of their emotions and connect more with friends and family. Furthermore, 95% of participants perceive an improvement in their emotional state, significantly reducing feelings of loneliness, especially among the most vulnerable. This is the goal of the Siempre Acompañados (Always Accompanied) program: to raise public awareness, engage the community to work collaboratively, and minimize loneliness among older adults. This year, the Siempre Acompañados program has provided personalized support to over 1,400 older adults in Catalonia and over 3,300 older adults throughout Spain and Portugal, a 32% increase compared to the same period last year. In its more than 10 years of operation, the program has established itself as a pioneering project both in addressing loneliness and in its intervention model.
"The Call of Loneliness," an experience to pause and listen
"Loneliness is very similar to the pain of being sick. It wears you down," Josep explains on the call. Javier expresses that "knowing there's someone who listens to you and cares about you saved me from sinking." "The program helped me realize that I had been shrinking and had forgotten who I was. Now I've learned to love myself, prioritize myself, and take care of myself," Blanca recounts. And Maria Teresa adds that she "recovered the feeling of not being isolated or shut down."
In order to raise awareness of the phenomenon of loneliness, the "la Caixa" Foundation launched the initiative to coincide with the International Day of Older Persons. The call from the phone booth, currently located in Granada, invites society to listen, reflect, and act. The Deputy Director General of the "la Caixa" Foundation, Marc Simón, emphasizes that "the program's trajectory has taught us that listening is an essential skill for social transformation." That's why the organization continues "to be committed to supporting them, to contributing to improving the well-being of older people," Simón concludes.