National Seniors is reaching out to hundreds of people in Melbourne’s C0VID-19 ‘hot spots,’ providing them with emotional and mental health support during their time of need.
It said the re-emergence and rapid spread of the virus in Melbourne had highlighted the valuable work of the National Seniors team staffing the dedicated telephone hotline (1800 171 866).
“To date, our focus has been calling our branch members especially in rural and regional areas to ensure they are safe and being supported. Already, we’ve made some 3,000 calls, speaking with members from more than 50 branches,” National Seniors said in a statement.
Melbourne National Seniors has also partnered with the Australian Unity CALD Alliance to expand the service to better support ethnic communities.
“Specifically, we are working with English speakers in Melbourne’s Filipino community who can then engage with other ethnic groups including the Sudanese, and Thai-Burma border Karen people,” it said.
It said the initiative allowed National Seniors to provide additional support to CALD communities.
“The service is helping older Australians get the critical information they need to stay healthy and safe during the pandemic, providing an accessible one-stop source for personal support, questions and up-to-date guidelines.”
“Community feedback tells us the service is very helpful in supporting the health and wellbeing not only of our members, but other older Australians who are feeling isolated and concerned about their situation and COVID-19 at this time.”
