Donegal people in need of company encouraged to call telephone service

Forty calls a month are being made to SeniorLine - Ireland’s national telephone service for older people - from Donegal, where loneliness and isolation are issues.

The service, which is expected to have received 30,000 calls nationally by the end of this calendar year, will be open every day 10am-10pm, throughout Christmas and the New Year and can be contacted on 1800 80 45 91 for company, conversation and camaraderie.

“It will be a busy season,” a spokesperson said. “Many regular callers will phone on Christmas Day to thank us for being there during 2025. We will be looking out for new callers who find themselves on their own, through bereavement, isolation or family difficulties. Every caller will receive a warm welcome from our 75-trained volunteers who will offer support, information and helpful contacts as necessary.”

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SeniorLine has practical suggestions to keep callers encouraged and engaged, and also to friends and neighbours of older people who may be alone. Neighbours could help with shopping, decorating, bringing in fuel, or delivering a meal, while small gestures such as sending a card, having a chat on the phone, or dropping in, can make a big difference. Giving neighbourly lifts to local church or choir services or inviting a lone neighbour in for a Christmas drink may help them feel part of the community and gives a sense of belonging.

If spending a lot of time alone over the Christmas season, SeniorLine offers to maintain a routine and establish a sense of purpose for each day; write a To Do list each morning and cross off tasks and enjoyable activities as achieved; get out and walk each day, weather permitting; make contact with another person every day either by phone, text, online or in person; be creative, bake a cake, arrange some flowers, singalong with familiar carols; practise self-care, dress in your favourite comfortable clothes, light candles safely, and keep the house as warm as you can afford, (a hot water bottle on your lap can be very comforting); have a stack of favourite books at the ready, choose programmes you enjoy on radio and on television and streaming services; set some goals you would like to develop next year and SMART test them. Make them Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time-deadlined; to do something for someone else – if you know of someone also on their own, ask them over for a cup of coffee, donate to a charity of your choice, and to develop an attitude of gratitude

“Most of the calls are from rural parts of the county where loneliness and isolation would be an issue,” the spokesperson added of Donegal. “Callers phone for information about their rights and for support with various ailments.