Volunteers reach out to lone seniors in Shanghai

'Today I am helping others, and someday I will need help from others'

Zhang Huijuan, 60, is a volunteer of a local program that allows younger seniors, people aged 50 to 69, to help those older than 70.

Under the project, a volunteer visits the elderly people who live alone once every two weeks, and calls them once a week.

Zhang said the epidemic worsened the loneliness of the seniors.

"To alleviate the loneliness, many elderly people turn on TV, only to find some comfort from the sound it makes," she said. "Many elderly people are eager to find a receptive ear."

"Usually once a phone conversation starts, their words pour out. They like to talk about their children or their retirement lives. Sometimes, they might repeat the same thing again and again and forget they have already said that," Zhang said.

Zhang said the elderly in his neighborhood have been well cared for during the lockdown with volunteers regularly sending meals and medicines to their homes, largely thanks to the close bonds established between volunteers and the seniors before the epidemic.

"Everyone will become old one day. I am 60 and today I can help. But someday, I will need help," said Zhang.

Background:

Shanghai has one of the highest numbers of seniors in any Chinese city. In 2020, the city was home to 5.8 million people aged 60 or above, accounting for 23.4 percent of the entire population. Among them, more than 300,000 live alone.