Connecting volunteers and people to overcome unwanted loneliness

With the aim of reducing social isolation and unwanted loneliness among people and providing information and tools to improve their situation, in 2022 the Spanish Red Cross is introducing the Multichannel Service “Te Acompaña”. This service works as a radar against loneliness and provides attention to those seeking help, information, guidance and/or accompaniment against unwanted loneliness, connecting them with volunteers willing to listen and accompany so that people receive attention from the Red Cross office closest to them.

Loneliness is one of the major problems facing people in today’s society. Loneliness is a matter of emotional discomfort that arises when a person feels misunderstood or rejected by others, or lacks companionship for desired physical and intellectual activities. The experience of loneliness, at its core, is the feeling of not having the necessary affection desired, resulting in suffering, desolation, dissatisfaction, anguish, etc. 

Although it is not something that only affects older people, the possibility of living in loneliness increases with age. In recent years there has been an increase in the number of single-person households of people aged 65 and over, and the trend is growing.

The multi-channel “Te Acompaña” is created to reduce the feeling of isolation and loneliness that people feel, seeking to improve their situation. Especially those who have had to stay alone in their homes or place of residence, providing information on different aspects related to coping with isolation and loneliness, about existing resources, solutions to problems, contacts, etc… Everything is explained in a simple way in a language that is close to the average citizen.

The multi-channel service “Te Acompaña” is a free service of personalised and confidential attention on unwanted loneliness, which allows people to make enquiries through the following channels:

• Free telephone: 900 444 111 (available Monday to Friday from 10 am to 6 pm).

•  Webchat: https://www2.cruzroja.es/teacompana 

•  Email: teacompana@cruzroja.es 

•  Enquiry form: https://www2.cruzroja.es/teacompana/haz-tu-consulta 

•  Attention through the social networks Twitter, Facebook and Instagram

The main task of the TE ACOMPAÑA multichannel service is to provide personalised and confidential information, guidance and accompaniment to people who may be in a situation of unwanted loneliness through different channels, mainly through the free 900 telephone number and digital channels such as email, the web and social networks.

In addition, the service carries out extensive work to disseminate and distribute content and informative materials through different communication channels aimed at people in situations of isolation and unwanted loneliness, as well as raising awareness to activate people in their immediate environment in the face of unwanted loneliness so that they can identify and detect situations of unwanted loneliness, sharing information and the service’s free service channels.

We also cooperate and participate in permanent networks with organisations working with people in situations of loneliness or isolation in order to generate synergies of support.

In addition, the service carries out extensive work to disseminate and distribute content and informative materials through different communication channels aimed at people in situations of isolation and unwanted loneliness, as well as raising awareness to activate people in their immediate environment in the face of unwanted loneliness so that they can identify and detect situations of unwanted loneliness, sharing information and the service’s free service channels.

It also cooperates and participates in permanent networks with organisations working with people in situations of loneliness or isolation in order to generate synergies of support.

The Red Cross volunteers constitute the main support of the project team, they are a source of listening and accompaniment to reduce the loneliness and isolation of the person and provide a link with the community. Currently more than 90 volunteers collaborate in the TE ACOMPAÑA multi-channel service, 60% of whom are women.

The TE ACOMPAÑA channels are staffed by volunteers specialised in accompaniment to address situations of social isolation and unwanted loneliness and are complemented by the support of a specialised website with information and content on different topics to address situations of isolation and loneliness.

This volunteering work is carried out through online technological tools such as Microsoft TEAMS, which allows volunteers to coordinate and carry out training from their own homes and, through digital services in the cloud, to have a telephone switchboard that allows all interactions (calls, messages, chats) to be dealt with through a computer connected to the internet.

In 2024, through a collaboration alliance with the Milka chocolate brand (Mondelez Spain), the initiative “Tenderness against loneliness” was launched, through which the service was further disseminated throughout the country, achieving significant momentum and social recognition. See here for more. 

The Te Acompaña multichannel service provides continuous attention from Monday to Friday from 10am to 6pm and from its launch in September 2022 until 31 March 2024 had handled more than 11,700 interactions (calls, messages, chat conversations). In 2023 alone, more than 6,700 interactions were handled through all channels. 

The importance of this service is materialised in the fact that the service works as a radar to detect and identify situations of unwanted loneliness and to manage people’s specific requests for help so that they can be attended to from the nearest Red Cross office. Since the service was launched, more than 2,500 requests for help have been channelled through the Red Cross office closest to the person’s home.

The TE ACOMPAÑA multichannel service, funded by the Institute for the Elderly and Social Services (IMSERSO) through the 0.7% state income tax subsidies managed by the Ministry of Social Rights, Consumption and Agenda 2030, and since 2024 has the support of Milka (Mondelez Spain), is a further step in the commitment of the Red Cross to help break the unwanted loneliness and social isolation of people in vulnerable situations and/or at risk of exclusion.