Coffee Chat series aims to address social isolation among seniors in Thunder Bay, Ont.

A new partnership between the Thunder Bay Public Library and Age Friendly Thunder Bay aims to address social isolation among older adults.

"I watched my mom for five years go downhill because she was in an apartment all by herself. COVID did us no favours," said Donna Nagy, chair of Age Friendly Thunder Bay.

Since the pandemic ended, Nagy said, people have been having a hard time getting back out and making connections. 

"'Now you can go out and make new friends.' Well, you can't tell a 90-year-old to do that. It's not going to happen," she said. "I want to make it better for them."

On Thursday, the first Seniors' Coffee Chat was held at the Mary JL Black library branch on the south side of town. The sessions are open to anyone age 50 and older and are free to attend. 

"The goal is to bring in seniors in our community in a low-barrier, no cost space to just socialize, do some activities, have some coffee, tea, cookies," said Jana O'Flaherty, adult and senior technician with the Thunder Bay Public Library.

"We are hoping to offer a space and encourage them to come here and just see a friendly face."

Activities include puzzles, colouring and knitting, but the main purpose of the event is to simply have a conversation.

"It's very hard to make new friends when you're not a kid anymore," said O'Flaherty. "These seniors, some of them are very isolated. They don't talk to anybody all day. They don't have a club or community group."

Age Friendly Thunder Bay works with 80 community partners, and is hoping to use the coffee sessions to help connect those most isolated with support and services to meet their needs.

"We need people to understand, assist, help them, just listen to them," Nagy said.

'You're not the only person out there'

Nearly 22 per cent of Thunder Bay's population was 65 or older in 2021, according to the last Statistics Canada census. According to Nagy, that number is quickly approaching 30 per cent.

With an aging population, she said, it's more important than ever to create programs tailored to older adults as well as caregivers, since "caregiver burnout is very high."

"It's just camaraderie. It's just knowing that you're not the only person out there. There [are] other people just like you and here they are, and you can talk," said Nagy.

Sheila Prus said that as soon as she saw information about Thursday's Seniors' Coffee Chat, she added it to her calendar.

"I think it's an opportunity for people to get out and just be social, chat with people, see what else is going on in the world," said Prus.

Besides "talking everybody's ear off," she said, she completed two puzzles while she was there.

"Just getting out and seeing lots of friendly faces, it was nice," Prus said.

The coffee chats will be held twice a month, rotating between the Mary JL Black and Waverley library branches. More information can be found on the library's website.