b'I know Maeve gets great enjoyment from our visits, but its a mutual friendship.Cliona on her friendship with MaeveWH ENM A E V E S H U S B A ND K ENPA S S ED AWAY,H ER LIFE CAME TO A SCREECHING HALT.Ken was taken from me twenty years ago and I just shut the door, Older people are referred to the program often by medical profes-says Maeve, age 82. I gave up going anywhere. I stopped talking sionals who are concerned about the effect of isolation on theirto my neighbors and this lasted for a couple years. I loved myhealth. In the midst of my depression, my nurse suggested that Ifamily to bits but I was just so depressed. consider getting involved with Making Connections, continuesDepression and isolation in older people is not uncommon in Maeve as she sits in her small sun-filled living room in Stillorgan.Ireland. The issue of isolation is particularly significant in Dun They asked me if I would like someone to come visit me once aLaoghaire Rathdown which has the highest national percentageweek for an hour. Well, I didnt know what theyd be like, but Clionaof people over 65 years: 14.5% in comparison to the nationalcame and she raised something inside me. I was amazed to findaverage of 11.2%.The burden of loneliness is actually bigger than someone who was interested in my stories. I asked her what is aconcernsaboutfinancialissues,explainsMaryODonohue,young girl like you doing spending time with an old woman likeExecutiveDirectorofMakingConnections.Wehaveseenme? but she says she loves it and I thoroughly look forward to herinstances of older people admit themselves to the hospital just to visits.alleviate their loneliness.Maeves volunteer is Cliona, age 25, and her take on theirMaking Connections was established in 2009 to facilitatefriendship affirms the programs objective that the service offer aconnections between people of different generations. Each situa- two-way benefit. Six months ago I met Maeve and frankly, shestion and friendship is unique. It might be as simple as going for a totally changed my opinion of older people. She loves talking aboutwalk, or showing an older person how to Skype with their family fashion and I get loads of ideas from her.She is such an open andoverseas. Some share literature, movies, or singing as a common friendly person that once we get to talking, I find that an hour isntinterest.Volunteerscomefromallwalksoflife:students,enough. We discovered we both love old movies and I often stayprofessionals,retiredpeople,andgothroughtrainingandwell into the evening. background checks before they begin volunteering. The once-a-week visits tackle loneliness and extend an extra TheIrelandFundsidentifiedMakingConnectionsasaproject supportsystemthatoftenallowsolderpeopletoremainworthy of support for the profound difference it is making in the lives ofindependent in their own homes. In other instances it may be a the older community. The Ireland Funds understood thatvisit to a person in a nursing home who has been referred because for a young charity like Making Connections, it canthey do not receive many visitors.Mary is quick to point out that be a real difficulty to get noticed, says Mary. Weit is not a replacement for home help or family; it is a relationship received our first funding through their Grant Roundwherepeopleexchangewisdom,lifeexperienceandskills. in 2012 which was followed by a Donor Advised Gift inEveryone needs to feel that someone cares. For many older people, a volunteer is a life line and for some it is a life saver. 2013 which made a big difference to us. It was a cru-cial moment because we were moving into the wintermonths with a long list of older people hoping for avolunteer. The funding allowed us tomeet this needof recruiting, training and supporting volunteers. connect2013 | 17'