The coronavirus pandemic can be especially difficult for older adults who live alone. To help support them, some American communities and groups have set up services aimed at meeting their needs for human contact and small talk. The city of Plano, Texas offers such a program. A group of about 15 city government workers reach out to Plano’s elderly individuals by telephone. Now, some residents look forward to getting phone calls from total strangers. The idea of getting calls from a stranger - just to chat - was immediately appealing to 81-year-old Dell Kaplan. “It gets pretty lonely here by yourself,” she told The Associated Press. Older individuals are more likely than other age groups to get infected with and die from COVID-19, the disease resulting from the coronavirus. Because of this, health officials have urged people over 65 to keep staying home even as some areas begin lifting restrictions aimed at slowing the spread of the virus.
Title: Free Calls Offered to Older Americans Living Alone
Content: <div id='article-page'><div id='article-content' data-media-url='//news-app-staging.s3.amazonaws.com' data-base-url='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/4209/C.wav' data-capture-url='//staging.analytics.lingraphica.com/events/capture_news' data-article-title='Free Calls Offered to Older Americans Living Alone' data-article-id='4745'><script src='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com/javascripts/getscripts.js'></script><link rel='stylesheet' href='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com/stylesheets/article.css' type='text/css' /><div class='article'><p><span data-start-time='0' data-end-time='8729'>The coronavirus pandemic can be especially difficult for older adults who live alone.</span> <span data-start-time='8729' data-end-time='23333'>To help support them, some American communities and groups have set up services aimed at meeting their needs for human contact and small talk.</span> <span data-start-time='23333' data-end-time='29375'>The city of Plano, Texas offers such a program.</span> <span data-start-time='29375' data-end-time='40042'> A group of about 15 city government workers reach out to Plano’s elderly individuals by telephone.</span> <span data-start-time='40042' data-end-time='48063'>Now, some residents look forward to getting phone calls from total strangers.</span> <span data-start-time='48063' data-end-time='60646'>The idea of getting calls from a stranger - just to chat - was immediately appealing to 81-year-old Dell Kaplan.</span> <span data-start-time='60646' data-end-time='68417'> “It gets pretty lonely here by yourself,” she told The Associated Press.</span> <span data-start-time='68417' data-end-time='83042'>Older individuals are more likely than other age groups to get infected with and die from COVID-19, the disease resulting from the coronavirus.</span> <span data-start-time='83042' data-end-time='99708'> Because of this, health officials have urged people over 65 to keep staying home even as some areas begin lifting restrictions aimed at slowing the spread of the virus.</span> </p></div><div class='control-buttons-sticky' style='display:none;'><div class='control-buttons'><button title='Back' class='back' disabled='disabled'></button><button title='Play' class='play' disabled='disabled'></button><button title='Pause' class='pause' style='display:none;'></button><button title='Forward' class='forward' disabled='disabled'></button><button class='finished-reading' style='display:none;'>Done</button></div></div></div><div id='article-media'><div id='media-image'><img src='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/4209/C.jpg'/></div></div><div id='question-content' style='display:none;'><div class='vocabulary_question question-container' data-question-id=15075 data-hint-location='68417' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/4209/what_is_the_name_of_the_disease_resulting_from_the_novel_coronavirus.wav'>What is the name of the disease resulting from the novel coronavirus?</div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='COVID-19'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/4209/hypertension.wav'><span>Hypertension</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/4209/diabetes.wav'><span>Diabetes</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/4209/hypothyroidism.wav'><span>Hypothyroidism</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/4209/covid19.wav'><span>COVID-19</span></div></div></div><div class='multiple_choice_question question-container' data-question-id=15076 data-hint-location='23333' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/4209/what_state_was_mentioned_in_this_article.wav'>What state was mentioned in this article?</div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='Texas'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/4209/new_york.wav'><span>New York</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/4209/texas.wav'><span>Texas</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/4209/maine.wav'><span>Maine</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/4209/tennessee.wav'><span>Tennessee</span></div></div></div><div class='sentence_completion_question question-container' data-question-id=15077 data-hint-location='29375' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/4209/the_elderly_individuals_featured_in_this_article_receive_telephone_calls_from_a_group_of__blank_.wav'>The elderly individuals featured in this article receive telephone calls from a group of <span class='blank'>city government workers</span>.</div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='city government workers'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/4209/close_family_members.wav'><span>close family members</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/4209/schoolchildren.wav'><span>schoolchildren</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/4209/pastors_and_nuns.wav'><span>pastors and nuns</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/4209/city_government_workers.wav'><span>city government workers</span></div></div></div><div class='question-buttons'><button class='skip-button'></button><button class='hint-button'></button><button class='speak-button'></button></div></div></div>
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