Members and residents at Mi Care Prins Willem (Dutch Village) Birkdale. Photo: Supplied.
The Circle of Men, a not-for-profit organisation, was established in the Redlands area at a single venue in 2005, and its mission statement is: “To help create an environment for the wellbeing and happiness of men in aged care facilities.”
Since COVID lockdowns began in 2020, loneliness and social isolation have often been highlighted as a common problem faced by elderly men in aged care facilities and in the wider community.
Many men have fewer options for social interaction as time passes, and our dedicated male volunteers currently support elderly men living in selected aged care facilities in the Redlands and Brisbane Southside areas.
Their purpose is to increase connection via a weekly companionship program. Each session is led by an experienced volunteer facilitator and consists of a “how are you going?” check-in, followed by engaging conversations on a variety of topics.
Many men enter an aged care facility as a last resort, after they’ve lost their health, mobility and final network of support, and our volunteers help break through that wall of isolation.
The success of the program to reconnect men with their peers is growing, and soon Circle of Men’s latest initiative will commence on Russell Island, within the Bay Islands Community Services Centre.
For more information or to volunteer with Circle of Men, please email [email protected].
