Won’t you be my neighbor? A Cross-generational Approach to Loneliness

Entrepreneurs Joy Zhang and Madeline Dangerfield-Cha observed the anxiety and stress caused by social isolation and loneliness on college campuses. Smartphones notwithstanding, many college students find themselves aliens in a new world when they begin campus life. At the other end of the arc of life are older adults. Mobility problems, hearing or vision impairment, the devastating loss of a spouse, or a sense of alienation from the fast-paced, technology-drenched environment leave many seniors challenged by social isolation and loneliness. Joy and Madeline recognized the problem and envisioned a solution. What started as Visiting Students Services for Hire in the San Francisco Bay area is now Mon Ami – a business that pairs young people with adults who need a companion, technology support, an exercise buddy, or household help. Join Eldercare Illuminated to explore an exciting cross-generational approach to addressing social isolation and loneliness. About Our Guests: Graduates of the Stanford University Graduate School of Business, Joy Zhang and and Madeline Dangerfield-Cha discovered that lonely people don’t need more toys and gadgets — they need other human beings. With very different backgrounds (Joy’s experience as a dementia and hospice volunteer and Madeline’s in education and digital marketing), the two discovered a hole in the fabric of eldercare that did not have a high-tech answer. Mon Ami pairs college students with elders living in nursing homes, assisted living facilities, and in the community. Mon Ami companions, the adults they visit, and the family caregivers all benefit. Voila!

You can listen to Won’t you be my neighbor? A Cross-generational Approach to Loneliness online on Radio and Podcast. Open the player on this page to stream the available audio.

Won’t you be my neighbor? A Cross-generational Approach to Loneliness is an episode from Eldercare Illuminated by Torchlight.

This episode is 30:03 long.

This episode was published on Oct 28, 2019.

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