21st Century Good Neighbor Program: An Easily Generalizable Program to Reduce Social Isolation in Older Adults.

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Community Health
• Volunteerism

Background:

• Loneliness and barriers to care significantly impact vulnerable populations, particularly older adults.
• The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated social isolation and highlighted the need for innovative support systems.
• Experiential service-learning programs offer a framework for addressing community needs while providing educational benefits.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of a longitudinal, phone-based service-learning program on loneliness in older adults.
• To assess the volunteer experience and identify social determinants of health needs among participants.
• To explore an inexpensive, implementable intervention for supporting vulnerable older adults.

Main Methods:

• An observational cohort study of the 21st Century Good Neighbor Program, initiated in May 2020.
• Student volunteers made weekly phone calls to older adults (≥60 years) for one year.
• Loneliness was measured using the 3-item UCLA Loneliness Assessment; identified issues were referred to a community service agency.

Main Results:

• 261 older adults participated, with 1,391 calls accepted; median call length was 11 minutes.
• No significant change in UCLA loneliness scores was observed after one year.
• 88% of volunteers reported a positive program impact; 257 issues (utilities, food, transportation) were identified and referred.

Conclusions:

• The 21st Century Good Neighbor Program effectively connects student volunteers with older adults, fostering relationships through phone calls.
• The program serves as a valuable tool for identifying and addressing social determinants of health barriers.
• High volunteer satisfaction suggests the program's feasibility and positive impact on student engagement, particularly during the pandemic.