Dan Klugman, Bringing Connection to Seniors
Nearly every Tuesday morning, between 8:30 and 10:00 a.m., Dan Klugman picks up the phone to check in on older adults across West Hollywood. As a volunteer with Jewish Family Service LA’s Telecheck Program for the past six years, Dan is part of a small but dedicated team providing reassuring calls to community members who are isolated or living alone. These calls offer a vital lifeline of consistency, care, and human connection.
Dan retired in 2018 after a career as a senior advocate with the U.S. Treasury and as an IRS-enrolled agent. “After retiring, I wanted to keep doing work that directly helps people,” he said. “Volunteering with JFSLA felt like a natural extension, using my experience to support older individuals living alone by providing reassurance and clear communication and a consistent point of contact.”
Telecheck clients receive phone calls five days a week, each scheduled during a designated morning window between 8:30 and 10:00 a.m. The program is supported by five Telecheck volunteers, each assigned one day per week. On their designated day, call clients and report back to the program coordinator.
Dan follows two guiding questions during each call: Are you doing okay? and Do you need anything? If a client expresses a need or concern, Dan alerts the program coordinator so a social worker can follow up. Calls are designed to be brief, typically five to ten minutes, but they often last longer as trust and rapport build.
“In the beginning, calls can be pretty quiet,” Dan said. “Over time, we talk about everyday things, nothing extraordinary. It may take weeks, but by listening with compassion and remembering details from week to week, clients gradually open up, and then you start to form a meaningful relationship.”
One of Dan’s contacts was recently diagnosed with aggressive cancer. “I wanted the client to feel seen and supported, so I did some research on how to best support someone with a terminal diagnosis,” he said. Dan also stays closely connected with the Telecheck team, including coordinator Olga Bronstein, to ensure clients receive the support they need.
“I learned not to push ‘silver linings,’ but instead to offer space to grieve and say, ‘I’m really sorry you’re going through this.’ Those calls can be emotional, but they will forever stay with me.”
For Dan, the benefits of volunteering go both ways. Now at 63, he points to research on the serious health impacts of loneliness among older adults. “Even brief calls can significantly improve quality of life,” he said. “And it helps me, too. I’m retired—the human connection is mentally and physically beneficial.”
He once considered stepping back during a holiday break. “After a couple of weeks without calling, I noticed my mood dipped,” he recalled. “I realized how much I missed the clients and being part of the JFSLA community. When I resumed, everything brightened. I haven’t thought about stopping since.”
Currently, the Telecheck Program serves 13 clients. Most Telecheck clients are referred by West Hollywood Community Services Center case managers, though some learn about the program through JFSLA’s intake services and express interest directly.
“I’d encourage anyone to try volunteering,” Dan said. “JFSLA is an extremely compassionate, professional organization. Working with Olga and the West Hollywood team has been fantastic. It’s been a privilege to be part of it, and I’d love to volunteer in other ways in the future.”
Thank you, Dan, and all our Telecheck volunteers for your unwavering dedication to ensuring older adults feel seen, heard, and connected—one call at a time.
