Loneliness has a significant impact on your health, both mentally and physically. It leads to increased levels of stress hormones, which can weaken the immune system and increase the risk of chronic conditions such as stroke and heart attack.

“Evidence research shows that isolation and loneliness are as bad for your health as smoking a pack of cigarettes a day,” said Sheila Cote, director of the Macomb County Office of Senior Services.

For some seniors, a simple phone call is enough to combat some of the effects of loneliness.

The Macomb County Friendly Caller program links Macomb County residents aged 60 or older with volunteer callers who offer a no-pressure, informal social call. Calls last from 10 to 30 minutes depending on the interest and natural flow of conversation.

Seniors receive a call weekly at a day and time of their choosing. Volunteers, who must be age 18 or older to participate, are provided training on how to use a calling database system that provides security for both parties.

The Macomb County Office of Senior Services, which also offers the Meals on Wheels program, started Friendly Caller in 2020 as a response to the pandemic because seniors were forced to stay home due to restrictions. It was so popular that volunteers have kept it running, as Friendly Caller receives a limited amount of funding.

“The program has been a huge success. The volunteers like it because they can make the phone calls from home. The seniors like it because they have somebody checking in on them and they have someone to communicate with,” Cote said.

Around 250 seniors receive calls regularly from 30 volunteers, including 81-year-old Bev Caperton of St. Clair Shores. Caperton has called 87 people since she started volunteering as a Friendly Caller in April 2023.

She will take notes during calls and refer back to the notes to make sure the conversations keep flowing. She said she enjoys reaching out to the seniors.

“It means a lot to me when they recognize my voice, say my name, and look forward to talking with me,” Caperton said. “It’s so rewarding to step out of your universe and jump into someone else’s, knowing that you’re possibly making them feel important and improving their day, which in turn does the same for you.”

To volunteer for the program, visit the Macomb County Services for Seniors website at macombgov.org/departments/senior-services or call 586-496-5228.