Sentinel Calls for Caring Callers

Media release
15 December 2005

For Immediate Release
Sentinel Calls for Caring Callers

More and more older New Zealanders want to – and are being encouraged to – stay in their own homes as long as possible.

While this is seen by most people as a good thing, at certain times of the year there can be drawbacks – such as a lonely time at Christmas when friends and family go away on holiday.

As a company which, through home equity release, enables older people to live on in their home in later life, Sentinel is supporting a service designed to address the problem of loneliness and isolation for the elderly.

“We heard about the St John Caring Caller service that puts caring people in touch with people on their own – a regular contact to ensure an elderly person has someone to talk to each day and take an interest in their lives,” says Sentinel marketing manager Linda Taylor.

For families with elderly loved ones, going away for a holiday and leaving their relative behind can be worrying. Not only is there the concern that he or she might be lonely, but that something might happen to them that they can’t help with from a distance.

“The Caring Caller service means they can go away knowing someone will call each day and as well as having a chat, make sure their loved one is ok. If there’s no answer, St John will call around and check on them. It’s peace of mind for families and at the same time, giving the older person human contact which is important all the time, but never more so than at Christmas, “ Mrs Taylor says, emphasising St John’s Caring Callers is a year-round service.

Sentinel decided the best way to help the service was to make as many people as possible aware of what Caring Callers offer – both for people making the calls and those receiving them.

“There are a lot of people out there who would like to help, but aren’t sure how. And there are lots of lonely older people out there who would love to have a friendly caller make contact every day,” Mrs Taylor says.

“Our slogan at Sentinel is ‘helping senior New Zealanders find new reasons to smile’ – we think supporting St John’s Caring Caller scheme is another way to do that.”

Details about the St John Caring Caller service are available from any local St John centre listed in the White Pages of the phonebook.

ENDS

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