The Homebound Senior Social Network (HSSN) is a free program offered by the Valley Caregiver Resource Center and Kings-Tulare Area Agency on Aging (KTAAA).

Since 2007, the program, which is only offered to Tulare County residents ages 60+, has been funded by a grant from KTAAA.

The program is currently weekly, with seniors in Tulare County connecting by phone on Wednesdays from 1-2 p.m.

In addition to helping seniors make new friends, the program offers activities such as “Name that Tune,” “Pet Tales,” “Armchair Travels,” “Food Talk,” “Movie Trivia” and bingo.

HSSN also includes a different discussion topic every week. The topic may be healthcare one week, and meditation or taking care of yourself the next. The topic may also be inspired by an upcoming holiday, such as Valentine’s Day.

The talks run about 30 minutes and are followed by the weekly activity.

Currently, about 10 people participate in the weekly sessions, a number which has remained fairly constant in recent years, including during the pandemic.

Yee Vue, Caregiver Resource Center program manager, would like more seniors to participate.

“We’d like to grow it,” said Vue, who noted that at one point, the program attracted between 20-25 seniors every week.

“It’s a free service for the seniors of Tulare County,” he said. “All they have to do is contact us at 800-541-8614.Our staff will reach out to them the day before and tell them the topic. We give them the conference call number that they need to call in.”

HSSN also offers another benefit to the seniors who participate.

“At the end of the year, we send out ‘care packages’ to all the participants,” said Vue, adding that in recent years, packages have included things like a stress ball and crossword puzzles, with bubble bath kits for women, and brushes and combs for men.

For more information, call (800) 541-8614 or (559) 224-9154.