The goal is to foster a culture of reciprocity that
brings people of all ages, backgrounds and financial
means together to support one another. Seniors are
much more comfortable asking for and accepting help
when they know they can “pay it forward” by helping
someone else, Blech says. This may also increase the
likelihood that they will ask for medical help when they
need it instead of allowing chronic health problems to
go untreated, potentially heading off preventable ER
visits and hospitalizations.
TimeBank also provides a powerful support network
for seniors enrolled in ArchCare’s Program of All-
Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) and Managed
Long Term Care (MLTC) plan. By embedding TimeBank
into its health plans, ArchCare is able to measure how
reduced isolation and increased social engagement
affect seniors’ emotional and physical well-being and
influence specific health outcomes over time.
The results speak for themselves. Of PACE and
MLTC participants who engage regularly with other
TimeBank members by phone or in person for six
months, 77 percent say their mental health has
improved since they joined the program and 44
percent report better physical health. Four out of five
seniors say they feel less alone since joining TimeBank,
63 percent say their quality of life has improved and 29
percent report having more friends.
TimeBank doesn’t just enable 91-year-old Edith to
continue living in the apartment and community
she loves. The memoir-writing workshops she leads
allow her to give something very personal in return.
For Edith, the joy she hears in her students’ voices as
they share their life stories with the group is the most
meaningful gift she could ever receive.
Learn more about ArchCare TimeBank at
archcare.org/community-resources/timebank
Clarita has always suffered the
lifelong stigma of being a little
person. Then, she was hit by a
cab, leaving her in a wheelchair
and unable to leave her home
without assistance. After joining
the ArchCare TimeBank, Clarita
was matched with Carmen, who
helps her get out of her house and
where she needs to go. In return,
Clarita tutors Carmen’s two young
daughters, renewing her sense of
purpose in life and alleviating her
loneliness.
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