@Paul Falkowski serves as the President and Founder of the National Association of Long-Term Care Volunteers, an organization based out of Philadelphia, PA, aimed at reducing loneliness of residents in long-term care communities.
Tell us about the work that your organization does. What is your mission and what population(s) do you serve?
The National Association of Long-Term Care Volunteers (NALTCV) exists to reduce loneliness and social isolation among people living in long-term care communities by building and strengthening companion volunteer programs across the country.
Nearly half of the 1.5 million people living in nursing homes and other long-term care settings receive no regular visitors. Behind clinical care plans and daily routines are human beings who long for conversation, touch, laughter, memory-sharing, and simply being known. Our mission is to mobilize, train, and support a volunteer workforce that forms authentic, one-to-one relationships with those individuals.
NALTCV is not a direct service provider that places volunteers ourselves. Instead, we equip long-term care communities—especially activity professionals and volunteer managers—with the training, tools, and structure they need to build sustainable companion volunteer programs. Through our “Volunteering in Long-Term Care” training and companion volunteer model, we prepare volunteers to engage with empathy, practice active listening, understand aging and dementia, and build relationships rooted in dignity and respect.
We serve multiple interconnected populations. First and foremost, we serve people living in long-term care communities who are at risk of social isolation. We also serve volunteers who want to make a meaningful difference but need guidance and confidence to step into these settings. Finally, we support the professionals within long-term care communities who are eager to enhance quality of life but often lack the time and infrastructure to recruit, train, and sustain volunteers effectively.
Our long-term vision is a national companion volunteer movement—where no person living in long-term care goes without meaningful human connection, and where communities are strengthened through consistent, compassionate presence.
Please tell us about the goals of the program you are involved with and how you support social connection?
NALTCV’s core initiative is the Companion Volunteer Program, a structured model designed to increase meaningful social engagement for people living in long-term care communities.
The program emphasizes one-to-one relationships rather than relying solely on group activities. While group programming has value, many individuals—especially those living with cognitive change, limited mobility, or limited family support—benefit most from consistent, personalized connection. Our model trains volunteers to build authentic relationships grounded in presence, empathy, and dignity.
Through our Volunteering in Long-Term Care training, volunteers learn about aging, dementia awareness, communication skills, boundaries, and active listening. They are prepared not just to “visit,” but to engage in shared conversation, reminiscence, reading, music, spiritual reflection, walking, or simply sitting together in meaningful silence. The focus is on consistency and depth rather than entertainment.
NALTCV partners with long-term care communities by equipping activity professionals and volunteer managers with the structure to recruit, screen, train, match, and support companion volunteers. We provide curriculum, implementation guidance, and tools to help sustain the program over time. In emerging pilot programs, we are also incorporating evaluation components to measure outcomes such as reductions in loneliness and improvements in engagement and quality of life.
The goals of this intervention are threefold: to reduce loneliness and social isolation through regular, meaningful human connection; to strengthen communities by integrating trained volunteers in ways that enhance—not replace—staff roles; and to build a scalable, evidence-informed national model that recognizes social connection as essential to quality long-term care.
Ultimately, the program seeks to ensure that no person living in long-term care feels invisible.
Share one of your top achievements or a success story.
One of our most meaningful achievements has been the development and launch of a structured, research-informed Companion Volunteer training model that communities across the country can implement.
For years, I saw long-term care communities that wanted more volunteers but lacked the infrastructure to recruit, train, and sustain them effectively. At the same time, I met volunteers who cared deeply but felt unprepared to engage with people living with dementia or complex health needs. The gap was not desire—it was structure and support.
Through NALTCV, we created the “Volunteering in Long-Term Care” training and companion model to bridge that gap. The program equips volunteers with practical skills in active listening, empathy, dementia awareness, boundaries, and relationship-building. It also provides volunteer managers with tools to implement the program in a sustainable way.
One early success story came from a pilot setting where a volunteer was matched with a gentleman who rarely participated in group activities and had few visitors. Rather than trying to entertain him, the volunteer simply showed up consistently each week. They talked about music, shared stories, played card games, and sometimes just sat quietly together. Over time, staff noticed subtle but meaningful changes—more eye contact, increased engagement, and a lift in mood on visit days. The volunteer later shared that the relationship changed him as much as it did the gentleman.
Beyond individual stories, an important achievement has been elevating social connection as an essential component of quality care. My earlier research on volunteer programming and quality outcomes has been cited nationally, and NALTCV is now building pilot programs with built-in evaluation to measure impact more intentionally.
For me, success is measured in moments—when someone who felt invisible is seen, heard, and known. Building a model that makes those moments more possible is an achievement I’m deeply proud of.
Why is promoting social connectedness important to the community/population you serve? Why and when did you start incorporating social connectedness into your programming?
Promoting social connectedness is essential for the people we serve because loneliness in long-term care is not simply an emotional experience—it is a health risk. Research consistently shows that chronic social isolation is associated with higher rates of depression, cognitive decline, cardiovascular disease, and even mortality. Yet for many people living in long-term care communities, social isolation becomes an invisible part of daily life.
When individuals move into long-term care, they often leave behind neighborhoods, roles, routines, and relationships that once gave their lives structure and meaning. Visits from family may decrease over time. Physical or cognitive changes can make participation in group activities more difficult. Even in caring environments, it is possible to feel unseen.
Social connectedness restores something fundamental: the experience of being known and valued. Consistent one-to-one relationships provide continuity, identity affirmation, and emotional safety. A regular visitor who listens, remembers details, and shows up reliably communicates, “You matter.” That message can shift mood, engagement, and overall quality of life.
Social connection has been central to our work from the very beginning. My early research explored the relationship between volunteer programming and quality outcomes in nursing homes. Over time, it became clear that the most meaningful impact did not come from adding more activities, but from fostering deeper, authentic relationships. When we formed NALTCV, we intentionally built social connectedness into the core of our programming through the Companion Volunteer model.
Rather than focusing on entertainment or task-based volunteering, we train volunteers to practice presence, empathy, and active listening. The goal is not simply to fill time, but to strengthen human bonds. We believe that social connection is not an “extra”—it is an essential component of quality long-term care and community health.
Any exciting projects coming up?
Yes, several exciting initiatives are underway as we continue building a national companion volunteer movement.
One major focus is the expansion of structured pilot programs in partnership with long-term care communities. These pilots are designed not only to implement the Companion Volunteer model, but also to embed evaluation tools from the outset. We are establishing baseline measures and follow-up assessments to better understand how consistent, one-to-one volunteer relationships impact loneliness, engagement, and overall quality of life. Strengthening our evaluation capacity will help us demonstrate outcomes more clearly and support broader adoption.
We are also working to secure approval to offer continuing education credits for professionals who participate in our webinars and training. This step will further integrate social connection into professional development within long-term care and reinforce that relationship-centered volunteerism is part of quality practice—not an add-on.
In addition, we are expanding our national partnerships. We are engaging with organizations that share our commitment to strengthening social connection across sectors, including aging services, volunteer mobilization networks, and community-based coalitions. These partnerships will help extend our reach and position companion volunteers as a scalable solution to loneliness.
Another exciting development is continued growth of our training platform. We are refining curriculum modules, adding implementation tools for volunteer managers, and creating resources that make it easier for communities of all sizes to launch and sustain programs.
Ultimately, what excites me most is the growing recognition that social connection is a public health priority. As more communities seek practical, sustainable solutions to isolation, we are ready to provide a structured model that transforms good intentions into lasting relationships.
Do you have tips for others looking to increase social connection and engagement programming or a key resource you can share?
Here are several practical lessons we’ve learned while helping long-term care communities strengthen social connection.
First, prioritize relationships over activities. Group programs have value, but meaningful connection often happens one-to-one. Identify individuals who may not thrive in large gatherings and create structured opportunities for consistent, personalized visits.
Second, focus on consistency. Social connection deepens over time. A volunteer who shows up weekly, even for 30–60 minutes, builds trust and familiarity. Predictability reduces anxiety and increases engagement, especially for those living with cognitive change.
Third, train for presence, not performance. Volunteers do not need to be entertainers. They need skills in active listening, empathy, and respectful communication. Teaching volunteers to ask open-ended questions, tolerate silence, and follow the person’s lead can transform a simple visit into a meaningful relationship.
Fourth, support your volunteers. Ongoing check-ins, reflection opportunities, and clear boundaries help sustain engagement. When volunteers feel prepared and valued, they are more likely to stay committed.
Fifth, integrate social connection into your quality strategy. Treat it as essential to well-being, not as an extra. Consider simple evaluation tools—baseline and follow-up questions about mood, engagement, or perceived loneliness—to demonstrate impact.
A key resource I would share is the growing body of research linking social isolation to health outcomes. Framing social connection as a public health priority helps build organizational buy-in and attract community partners.
Above all, start small but start intentionally. Even one well-supported, consistent relationship can shift the culture of a community. Social connection does not require elaborate programming—it requires presence, structure, and commitment.
Do you have any recommended reading for others interested in this topic?
Absolutely. Here are a few accessible, evidence-informed reads I often recommend to people interested in social connection—especially as it relates to aging and long-term care:
National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (2020), Social Isolation and Loneliness in Older Adults: Opportunities for the Health Care System — A foundational, research-rich report that frames social connection as a public health priority and outlines practical pathways for action.
U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy (2023), Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation (Advisory) — Clear, practical, and highly readable; helpful for building organizational buy-in and community partnerships.
Julianne Holt-Lunstad’s research on social isolation and mortality risk — If you want the strongest “why this matters” evidence base, her meta-analytic work is widely cited and compelling.
John T. Cacioppo & William Patrick, Loneliness: Human Nature and the Need for Social Connection — A very readable explanation of what loneliness is, why it affects health, and how connection works at a human level.
Bill Thomas, What Are Old People For? — A powerful, person-centered critique of institutional care and a call to restore meaning, purpose, and relationship in later life.
Eden Alternative resources (person-directed care; combating loneliness, helplessness, and boredom) — Practical for teams working inside care communities and a great bridge between culture change and connection.
Paul P. Falkowski, Creating the Volun-Cheer Force: Rethinking how we use volunteers in nursing homes — If someone wants a volunteer-specific lens on building meaningful roles and relationships in long-term care, this is directly aligned with the companion volunteer approach.
If the audience is mainly “busy practitioners,” I’d start with the Surgeon General Advisory and one NASEM report chapter, then add a practical culture-change resource like Bill Thomas or Eden.
How can others connect with your work? Do you have a project website?
Others can connect with our work in several ways.
The primary hub for the National Association of Long-Term Care Volunteers (NALTCV) is our website: www.naltcv.org
There, visitors can learn about our Companion Volunteer model, explore training options, access resources for volunteer managers, and register for upcoming webinars and events. We also share blog articles, program updates, and ways to get involved.
For long-term care communities, we offer access to our “Volunteering in Long-Term Care” training, which prepares companion volunteers to build authentic, one-to-one relationships. Activity professionals and volunteer managers can contact us directly through the website to discuss implementing the model within their communities.
Individuals interested in becoming companion volunteers can learn about the training process and how to connect with local long-term care communities. We do not place volunteers directly; instead, we equip communities with the tools to recruit and support volunteers locally.
We are also active on LinkedIn and other social media platforms, where we share research, stories, and updates related to social connection and volunteer engagement in long-term care.
For organizations, coalitions, or funders interested in partnership opportunities, pilot programs, or research collaboration, we welcome direct outreach through our website’s contact form. We believe this work grows strongest through collaboration.
At its heart, NALTCV is about strengthening human connection in places where it is often needed most. Anyone who shares that commitment—whether as a professional, volunteer, researcher, or community partner—is invited to connect with us and help build a national companion volunteer movement.