The nudge I pulled for this week reads “Someone living in a nursing or retirement home.” This was inspired by one former neighbor in particular, a woman who moved into a thriving retirement community just before the holidays in 2019, anticipating that her social life and overall well-being would improve dramatically. Then everything shut down. No visitors were allowed, all of their group activities—including meals in the dining room—were canceled, and I couldn’t even send her care packages! Her isolation has been incredibly challenging, and I’ve tried to check in with her when I can.

Then a couple of weeks ago I was thinking about the mom of a good friend of mine, who I used to see regularly at extended family gatherings. On a whim I picked up the phone to say “Hi!” and ended up spending over an hour chatting with her about books we’re reading, TV series we’re binging, and news about family members. It struck me that I might have been the only outside contact she had that day, so she’s the reason I’m recommending this week’s nudge connection be made with a phone call.

The recipient of your call might be an elderly family member, former neighbor, or maybe a former teacher. If you can’t think of anyone and you’re a member of a religious congregation, make your first call to them, to see if they have a senior support committee. Perhaps they can give you the name of someone who needs a little extra TLC.

If you’re at a loss for conversation beyond “So, how are you?”, consider:

• sharing a memory: “Remember when we…were together for Passover / you taught me how to fish that summer / enjoyed your famous apple pie (what was your secret ingredient)?”
• asking for life advice: “What’s something you wished you’d known when you were my age?”
• closing the generational gap: “Carey Mulligan is one of my favorite actresses right now. Who was your favorite actor/actress/musician/writer when you were growing up?”
• telling a funny story about your child or dog: I have a neighbor who is still in her home but is housebound. She loves getting photos of Louie (our dog) and hearing about his latest tricks. I’ve since heard stories about the pets she loved throughout her life.

Make that call!