Adelaide calls for Telecross 50th birthday celebration

Every morning, she gets out of bed and makes sure she has taken her tablets before someone from Telecross, a service run by Red Cross, gives her a ring. The caller will greet her in a friendly manner, ask her how her night was, how she's feeling in the morning, and what plans she has for the day. It's something she looks forward to.

"I wouldn't be without them; they wake you up, they make you feel good and they help you start the day off well", she said.

"(Without it), with all my aches and pains, I would likely stay in bed all day."

Margaret has a saying for helping her frame her mindset each day.

"Start the day the Telecross way."

Telecross is a daily phone call to check on people's wellbeing. In particular, it's for people who live alone and are at risk of an accident or illness that may go unnoticed. It's also available to carers of people who are eligible for the service. Friendly volunteers make calls each morning, 365 days a year. If the call is not answered, Red Cross will take action to make sure call recipients are OK.

This social support program is funded through the Commonwealth Home Support Program and is available nationally through MyAged Care referrals.

Telecross' 50^th birthday was celebrated by Red Cross in Adelaide on Wednesday, October 12, and gave volunteers and clients a chance to meet face-to-face. In the South Australian service, there are 10 staff, 140 volunteers, more than 700 current clients, and about 240,000 phones made calls a year. The service had made more than 140 emergency response activations in the past year.

Jennifer Curnow is a Telecross volunteer. A typical day for her starts with receiving a call sheet of people she needs to ring, which may include points of discussion and their birthday.

"I start with 'hello, this is Jenny from Telecross' and from there the conversation develops," she said. Using her listening skills, she can pick up cues that suggest how someone is feeling.

There was a time when her listening skills came into action; a client had COVID and was unwell. Jennifer escalated the call further and later found out the client went to hospital. That client later said they were grateful for the service.

For more information about Telecross, click here or phone 1300 885 698.