Older Adult Mental Health & Social Isolation

Supports for during a crisis, improving mental health or during social isolation.

Catholic Family Services of Hamilton Senior Peer Volunteer Program

Phone:
Fax Number: 905-546-5779
Contact:
Judit Zsoldos, Team Leader
Email: Web: Address:
56 Governors Rd, Dundas, ON L9H 5G7, Canada
Hours:
Cost:
None
Who can access this service:

60 years of age or older and at least one other from the following list:

  • Client previously required coordination of multiple services through Intensive Case Management and follow-up/monitoring is now required. 
  • Change of residence and/or supports within the past year, e.g. absence of an involved family member, spouse, friend or agency
  • Evidence of self-neglect or any form of elder abuse by a family member, caregiver or any other individual
  • Circumstances compromising functional capacity including cognitive or physical impairment with confusion, memory and sensory losses
How to apply:

Contact for information.

Telephone support for socially isolated seniors, by senior peer volunteers.

Community Visitation and Seniors Support, Welcome Inn Community Centre

Phone:
Contact:
Ruth Kaulback, Seniors Program Coordinator and Volunteer Coordinator
Email: Web: Address:
40 Wood St E, Hamilton, ON L8L 3Y3, Canada
Hours:
Visitations are scheduled once per week, times are flexible
Cost:
None
Who can access this service:

Seniors living in the central and north end of Hamilton. 

How to apply:

Contact for information.

Friendly visitation and/or telephone reassurance for persons who are living in their own home/apartment or recovering from hospital stays. Time is spent listening, playing games, making crafts, going on outings, telling stories, and enjoying one another’s company. Individual interviews with both the senior and the volunteer are conducted before a match is made.

Volunteer Visiting, Dr. Bob Kemp Hospice

Phone:
Contact:
Email: Web: Address:
277 Stone Church Rd E, Hamilton, ON L9B 1B1, Canada
Hours:
Hours vary, contact for details.
Cost:
None
Who can access this service:

Open to anyone living with a life-threatening illness in Greater Hamilton. Programs available specifically for children and for adults.

How to apply:

Contact for more information.

Specially trained volunteers offer social and emotional support to children, adults, and families living with a life-threatening illness in Greater Hamilton. Support is provided through phone and video chat.

Dundas Community Services Friendly Calling

Phone:
Contact:
Email: Web: Address:
2 King St W Suite 3A, Dundas, ON L9H 6Z1, Canada
Hours:
By appointment only.
Cost:
None
Who can access this service:

Older adults and adults with disabilities.

How to apply:

To register for the Friendly Calling program please call or complete the contact form on the website. Information about volunteering as a friendly caller can be found on the volunteering webpage.

Friendly callers offer companionship and quality conversations through weekly calls. Clients will also have access to other helpful resources and information within the community. Calls usually last 15-30 min. Trained volunteers are matched with a client by similar interests and background. Please note that this service does not include in-person friendly visits.

Friendly Calling, Chatting to Wellness

Phone:
Contact:
Email: Web: Address:
Hours:
Cost:
None
Who can access this service:

Open to all seniors in Canada.

How to apply:

Call 437-702-2025 to register or sign up online.

Provides youth companionship to seniors over the phone to reduce loneliness and improve health. 

Life Long Care Program

Phone:
Fax Number: 905-545-4077
Contact:
Christina Barahona
Email: Web: Address:
34 Ottawa St N, Hamilton, ON L8H 3Y7, Canada
Hours:
Hours vary by program, contact for details
Cost:
None
Who can access this service:

Open to all urban Aboriginal men, women and their families

How to apply:

Contact to register

Provides support services to the Indigenous community, regardless of age, who are disabled, chronically ill, frail, elderly or require acute/chronic continuum of care.

Services include:

  • medical transportation services
  • assistance with completing forms
  • community referrals
  • home visits
  • security checks
  • caregiver support
  • aid in transitioning from ODSP to Old Age Pension
  • congregate dining meals
  • social activities

March of Dimes BeFriending Program

Phone:
Work: 905-687-8484 x238
Fax Number: 905-527-7201
Contact:
Crystal Theal, Supervisor, Regional Volunteer Services
Email: Web: Address:
20 Emerald St N, Hamilton, ON L8L 8A4, Canada
Hours:
Hours vary, contact for details
Cost:
None
Who can access this service:

Volunteers must be aged 18 or older and pass a Criminal Reference Check. Students under 18 can sometimes be accommodated if supervision can be arranged. Contact for details.

 

How to apply:

To apply for the BeFriending program: fill out the program application. To become a volunteer: fill out the volunteer application. Completed applications can be sent to the address on the form. Call for more details.

 

Matches volunteers and clients who have similar interests and who want to share their time. Activities can include shopping, movies or events, or just a chat over coffee.

Dundas Community Services Friendly Visiting

Phone:
Contact:
Email: Web: Address:
2 King St W Suite 3A, Dundas, ON L9H 6Z1, Canada
Hours:
By appointment only.
Cost:
None
Who can access this service:

Older adults and adults with disabilities.

How to apply:

Call to register or register by completing the online contact form. Information about volunteering as a friendly caller can be found on the volunteering webpage.

Provides companionship and support to help seniors or persons with disabilities remain independent in their homes. This programs aims to enrich the social interaction of individuals by connecting them to the community and other helpful resources. Visits last around one hour and usually take place in the client's home (including retirement residences) once per week. 

Each friendly visitor volunteer is carefully matched with a client by similar interests and background. All volunteers are required to provide a valid Vulnerable Sector Screening Check, take part in the interview process, pass the reference check, and participate in a training session. 

At Your Senior Service

Phone:
Contact:
Email: Web: Address:
53 Golden Iris Cres, Waterdown, ON L0R 2H3, Canada
Hours:
Hours vary * Contact for details
Cost:
Service
Fees vary according to service and level of care provided.  Contact for details.
Who can access this service:

Services designed to support seniors and their caregivers

How to apply:

Contact to register

Provides support services by qualified professionals that improve the quality of life for seniors and enables seniors to maintain their independence while living in their home. Hourly, weekend, short term, long term, and respite care available. Staff are properly screened, fully licensed and insured. Services include:

Personal care

  • Exercise and range of motion
  • Transferring
  • Feeding

Companion care

  • Fall prevention
  • Medication reminders
  • Meal preparation
  • Light housekeeping
  • Shopping and errands
  • Laundry

Specialty care

  • Alzheimer's
  • Dementia
  • Parkinson's Disease
  • Multiple Sclerosis
  • Hip Replacement
  • Stroke

SE Health Help at Home Services

Phone:
Toll-Free Number: 1-866-801-4097
Contact:
Email: Web: Address:
1525 Stone Church Rd E, Hamilton, ON L8W 3P8, Canada
Hours:
Hours vary, contact for details
Cost:
Service
fees vary, contact for details, private insurance is accepted
Who can access this service:

Open to all.

How to apply:

Contact for information or complete the online application form.

Offers a variety of home supports to help older adults live independently in their own homes.

Services include:

  • housekeeping, light chores, and laundry
  • meal preparation and grocery shopping
  • social supports including appointment accompaniment, friendly chatting, and day excursions

Canada Post Alert Program

Phone:
Contact:
Email: Web: Address:
2 King St W Suite 3A, Dundas, ON L9H 6Z1, Canada
Hours:
Cost:
None
Who can access this service:

Older adults and adults with disabilities.

How to apply:

Call to register or apply online.

An added measure of security for older adults, people with disabilities, and those with other illnesses who live alone in their own homes. Letter carriers are on alert to possible security issues during their regular delivery duties Monday through Friday. If a client's mail is uncollected in their mailbox, the carrier will report it for Dundas Community Services to follow up on the client's well-being. 

Senior Mental Health Behavioural Inpatient Program

Phone:
Work: 905-522-1155 x36202
Fax Number: 905-381-5617
Contact:
Email:
Web: Address:
100 West 5th Street, Hamilton, ON L8P 3R2, Canada
Hours:
Mon-Sun
24 hours
Cost:
None
Who can access this service:

Seniors age 65 or younger who have an age-related cognitive decline.

How to apply:

Fax referral and supporting documents to West 5th Campus central intake at 905-381-5620. Call Eric Van Raay (social worker) at 905-522-1155 x36848 to arrange a pre-admission tour. Referring sources should call the unit or the community program with questions about eligibility.

Specialized service and treatment for individuals who have behaviours related to a diagnosis of dementia. Program provides service to Local Health Integrated Network (LHIN) 4 (the regions of Niagara, Brant, and Halton). Program goal is to return clients to an appropriate care setting within their home community after assessment and development of a treatment plan.

Dundas Community Services Crisis and Intervention Assistance

Phone:
Fax Number: 905-627-5020
Contact:
Email: Web: Address:
2 King St W Suite 3A, Dundas, ON L9H 6Z1, Canada
Hours:
Cost:
None
Who can access this service:

Older adults and adults with disabilities.

How to apply:

Contact for information

One-on-one supports for coordinating services. Includes personal advocacy, community referrals, assistance with filling out forms, and intervention and supports for people facing homelessness, critical life changes, abuse, or isolation. 

St. Matthew's House Seniors Crisis Intervention Program

Phone:
Work: 905-523-5546 x230
Contact:
Mel Delorme, Supervisor, Social Services
Email: Web: Address:
414 Barton St E, Hamilton, ON L8L 2Y3, Canada
Hours:
Cost:
None
Who can access this service:

Individuals who are at risk of homelessness or in need of crisis support.

How to apply:

Call or visit for information.

The program supports seniors who are at risk of homelessness and/or have an urgent situation that requires immediate supports. It develops goal oriented crisis support plans aimed to assist individuals in stabilizing their current crisis and connects individuals with the most appropriate community services. A plan of care is created that responds to the presented crisis. The program also provides short term case management (up to 3 months) as well as linkages and referrals to long term community supports. 
 

Connect Mental Heath and Addiction Outpatient Programs

Phone:
Work: 905-522-1155 x36499
Fax Number: (905) 389-3815
Contact:
Email: Web: Address:
100 West 5th Street, Hamilton, ON L8P 3R2, Canada
Hours:
Hours vary by program, contact for details
Cost:
None
Who can access this service:

Individuals with mental health concerns. 

How to apply:

Complete and submit the online application form. If the fillable form will not open, download the flattened referral form, complete it by hand and fax it to 905-389-3815

Connect is a centralized intake service for St. Joe's Mental Health and Addiction outpatient programs.

Accepts and processes referrals for the following clinics:

  • Anxiety Treatment and Research Clinic (ATRC)
  • Women's Health Concerns Clinic (WHCC)
  • Senior's Mental Health Clinic
  • Eating Disorders Program
  • Mood Disorders Program
  • Youth Wellness Centre
  • Community Psychiatry Clinic (CPC)
  • East Region Mental Health Services (ERMHS)
    • Concurrent Disorders Program
    • General Psychiatry Clinic
    • Bridge to Recovery Program
    • Border Personality Disorder Service
  • Cleghorn Early Intervention Clinic
  • Schizophrenia Outpatient Clinic
  • Developmental Dual Diagnosis Program