The Friendly Visitor Program (“the Program”) provides social interaction, and relieves loneliness and feelings of isolation in senior citizens who are lonely or home-bound in the City of Alexandria. The Program is based on extensive research that has shown depression and loneliness to be major problems that lead to impaired quality of life among elderly persons, and that there are considerable health benefits of socialization. Since September, 2012 the Program has recruited volunteers who visit seniors each week. A total of 248 seniors and homebound residents have been enrolled in the Program since its inception in 2012. This is the second evaluation of the impact of the Program on the seniors it serves and the Alexandria citizens who volunteer as the Program’s friendly visitors.
Dr. Diane Stoy conducted this impact study for SSA. Read it here: Friendly Visitor Evaluation 2019 – Final Report _February, 2019
