Connecting seniors and creating community one phone call at a time

Doris B., a resident of a local retirement community enjoying the library's phone program

Last spring when the COVID-19 pandemic cut off in-person visitation to senior and assisted living residences, the Arlington Heights Memorial Library's Senior and Accessible Services team immediately began looking for ways to stay connected with some of its most-loyal customers.

"We know seniors don't always have access to a computer or electronics," said Janet McDonnell, Senior and Accessible Services Advisor. "So when we learned Zoom has a feature where you can join a session simply using a phone—even a land line—we decided to give it a try."

And so began Senior Phone Programs, weekly gatherings by telephone that start with library staff dialing each participant and connecting them to a session described by McDonnell as "just like the old party lines." Together, participants then listen to and discuss short stories or share reminisces of past events and experiences. The program takes place on Tuesdays, 1-2 p.m. and on any given week, six to ten seniors answer the call and join in.

"I haven't missed a single one, I even plan appointments around it," says Doris B., a resident of a local retirement community who was on the line for the inaugural program in April of 2020 and has consecutively joined for more than 85 weeks. "It's given me contact with the outside world especially during the quarantine," she continued. "There are names with the voices and as we've gotten to know each other over the weeks, we've become friends. We share and voice our opinions. It's such a delight."

On a recent Tuesday, McDonnell and Katie Myers, Senior and Accessible Services Supervisor, were excited to once again coordinate and moderate the phone program, an assignment they say 'has been a blast" and describe as a highlight of the week. For today's topic and audio recording, they've selected chapter six from The Ride of Our Lives: Roadside Lessons of an American Family, a humorous and inspiring account of NBC journalist Mike Leonard's cross-country odyssey with his eccentric parents and grown children.

"He sure does a good job painting a word picture," comments one participant at the conclusion of the 21-minute recording. A lively conversation follows and covers everything from food ration stamps during the Great Depression to childhood summers and even reflections of current day COVID-related quarantines to infectious diseases of their youth.

"You used to put a big sign on your front door that read 'mumps' so people knew to stay away," recalled one participant.

"Every week is different, the chemistry is different," said Myers. "But everyone is very kind and so respectful."

"I look forward to it every week," added Doris. "We're like a little community of voices. It's so interesting to get people's viewpoints, and it's nice to have some memories come back too. When you're alone, you don't always get that."

Contact Senior and Accessible Services at 847-870-3712 to learn more about these programs or to register.

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