PHILADELPHIA, (October 1, 2020)—OneClick.chat, a video chat and social engagement platform tailored to seniors, announced the launch of The Loneliness Awareness Month Coalition, composed of six leading community-building organizations, to address the worsening loneliness epidemic among senior citizens.
The coronavirus pandemic has placed an extraordinary toll on older adults, who are at the greatest risk of infection from close contact with people who have COVID-19, including family members. For this reason, many senior citizens have remained in isolation and are experiencing worsening social isolation, which puts them at risk for dementia and other serious medical conditions.
To address social isolation issues among older adults, OneClick.chat is partnering with Music for Seniors, the University of Connecticut School of Social Work, Western Home, Grout Museum, The Eleni Group, and SeniorNet to launch a month of engaging online activities for seniors to reconnect with old friends and discover new ones. Activities range from live museum tours to intergenerational mixers, and anyone can join from their computer or mobile device.
"What started out, years ago, as a concept to bring seniors together through a video platform so they can share stories, hobbies, laughter—even meals together—has now been thrust into the limelight as a way for seniors to stay connected during the global pandemic," said OneClick.chat CEO Dillon Myers. "Seniors were already battling loneliness issues before COVID-19. This pandemic has made the situation much worse for them, and that's why our company has been laser-focused on designing a platform that is designed around the needs of seniors and their comfort with technology."
OneClick.chat is a web-based video chat platform known for its ease of use. Because the platform lives entirely online, it eliminates the need to download extra software, or sign in to an application. The streamlined process only asks that users click on a single link, and they are instantly transported into a chat room of their family, friends or other users that share their interests.
The Loneliness Awareness Month Coalition comprises:
- Music for Seniors, a nonprofit connecting area musicians with older adults, which will host group sing-alongs and story sharing across genres of music like Broadway, Jazz, Gospel, R&B, and even Drum Circles.
- The University of Connecticut School of Social Work, which is hosting an intergenerational mixer that will bring together and facilitate conversations between seniors and social work students in the bachelor's and master's programs.
- Western Home, a charitable organization that creates fulfilling lifestyles for those they serve, which will host several health and wellness events including meditation, memory exercises and a demonstration of how to make energy bite snacks.
- Grout Museum, a history and science museum located in Waterloo, Iowa, will be offering live museum tours and World War 2 discussions.
The Eleni Group will feature world-famous motivational speaker Eleni Kelakos, who will be leading storytelling events about family memories, life lessons and proud life moments.
SeniorNet, a nonprofit organization specializing in computer and internet education for adults 55 and over, will be hosting various discussions about technology, including how to use social media to connect with family and friends.
"Music for Seniors is delighted to partner with OneClick.chat for Loneliness Awareness Month," Music for Seniors Founder and Executive Director Sarah Martin McConnell said. "Together we'll offer participants opportunities to connect with one another through music - via shared, interactive live music experiences in real time and lively conversations about those experiences. No mask required!"
For a full list of events taking place in October, please visit: events.oneclick.chat.
