A help line for the elderly is attracting more men than before and is providing a "life-enhancing service", according to a report that was launched yesterday.
Men accounted for less than one third of calls to the Senior Helpline in 1999, increasing to more than half of all calls by last year.
Similarly, while under 65s accounted for 35 per cent of calls five years ago, this had increased to 60 per cent last year.
Loneliness and family problems were the main reasons for calling the help line, according to the 2,127 people who rang the lo-call number last year. Five years ago, most people called seeking information.
An evaluation of the helpline, which was carried out by the economist Dr Eamon O'Shea, of NUI Galway, was launched by the President, Mrs McAleese, yesterday.
Dr O'Shea said the service was novel in that older people staffed the helpline, making it a "peer-to-peer" service. While it was providing "good value for money" the economist noted that the service needed additional funding of about €170,000 a year if it was to be sustainable in the long run. It currently receives about €60,000 a year through the Health Boards Executive.
He recommended that funding come from the Departments of Health and Social and Family Affairs, as well as from voluntary donations. He also asked for opening hours to be doubled to 12 hours a day and he advised that a Senior Helpline centre be established in all counties to increase visibility of the service. There are currently nine such centres dotted around the Republic.
A recommendation for more training of the existing 300 volunteers was called for, as well as the appointment of an information officer to ensure older people are made aware that the service exists.
Ms Mary Nally, national co-ordinator of the Senior Helpline, said that while organisers are eager to see opening hours extended, funding was a problem. "We have the volunteers but we just don't have the funding," she said.
The President, Mrs McAleese praised the initiative, saying it provided "a valuable, in fact a critical and life-enhancing service" to older people.
"What is sad, if not surprising, is that the study tells us that half of all callers do so out of loneliness and only a few, very few, do so from money worries," Mrs McAleese said.
The Senior Helpline number is 1850 440 444 and is open from 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. and 7 p.m. - 10 p.m every day.
