Seniors struggle with cold and loneliness in freezing temperatures and heavy snowfall

Calls to Toronto’s Seniors Helpline have surged amid extreme cold and heavy snow, as older adults seek help for issues like loneliness to dangerous situations or no heat at home.

Calls to Toronto Seniors Helpline are on the rise as older adults struggle with issues ranging from no heat in their homes to loneliness amid brutal cold and impassable snow-covered sidewalks.

“(Many) seniors do face isolation anyway, but when it’s particularly cold and there’s more fear of going out or other people coming in, that just unfortunately increases rates of isolation,” said Rochelle McAlister, who oversees the helpline run by WoodGreen Community Services.

McAlister said the helpline received 128 calls on Monday and Tuesday alone — about 50 per cent more than average — right after a snowstorm walloped southern Ontario.

While a lot of the helpline calls are from older adults who just want someone to talk to, others are about immediate life-threatening problems, including not having heat.

Some have lost their heating because they are living in poverty and fell behind on their hydro bills, McAlister said.

“Others have landlords who aren’t fixing their heat for them,” she said, while some had maintenance workers who couldn’t get to their buildings after the storm.

Many sidewalks and streets in the city are still covered in snow and ice and not accessible for people with mobility issues, so seniors are also having trouble with basic needs, such as getting groceries or going to medical appointments, McAlister said.

Geriatric specialists say seniors are among the most vulnerable people in winter.