The COTA Social Connections has now concluded and is unable to take new clients. You can read the final report COTA Social Connections - Stories of resilience and ‘getting back out after COVID' below.

For more information about getting and staying socially connected, access the Beyond Blue Connections Matter booklet below. This valuable resource offers plenty of tips and ideas on how to connect with others.

Staying connected to your community and active in mind and body, is important to maintaining your overall health and wellbeing. However, we know that identifying available opportunities that are enjoyable, accessible and meet your own personal interests is not always easy, so this is where COTA Social Connections can help you!

Through the COTA Social Connections program, we helped older South Australians find and join social activities and groups that appeal to their interests, connect them with new friends and engage them with their community. This could be seeing family more, joining a fitness group, volunteering or other activities that are of personal interest and value.

It may also have included identifying appropriate health or aged care services that can help facilitate social connections.

Research has proven that being connected with others is important for physical and mental wellbeing. Relationships with family, friends and the community provide people with happiness, security, support and a sense of purpose. People who have someone to talk to and who can offer support experience greater life satisfaction and experience delayed progression of dementia, and less depression, anxiety, obesity and heart disease.

The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted regular social interactions and activities for many older South Australians, many of whom were encouraged to stay at home to protect their health and wellbeing, while restrictions on gatherings and social distancing have also meant that events were cancelled or held online.

In response to this, we developed COTA Social Connections to help people connect or reconnect with their communities and the things they love doing.

COTA SA gratefully acknowledges the funding for this project from the Australian Government through the Adelaide Primary Health Network (PHN) Program