Messages for Good brings community connection to aged care homes via new app
As Loneliness Awareness Week kicks off, (4-10 August, 2025) a new technology solution powered by the TeaTime platform is being rolled out across aged care homes to combat loneliness – with Medical & Aged Care Group (MACG) first to adopt.
Messages for Good is a new community-powered channel on the TeaTime platform – an app that helps families, aged care residents and carers to stay connected by sharing photos, videos and messages. Created in partnership with Friends for Good, Messages for Good allows volunteers to send photos and video messages to aged care residents, especially those without regular contact from family and friends and who are at high risk of loneliness.
Medical and Aged Care Group (MACG) – one of Australia’s leading family-owned and operated aged care providers – is a founding partner of TeaTime and is the first group to implement the app across all nine of its homes. MACG is also the first aged care provider to integrate the Messages for Good channel into its care model.
Loneliness: A quiet crisis still facing older Australians in care
Research from Friends for Good shows that nine in ten Australians report feeling lonely at some point in their lives. Older adults are particularly vulnerable due to multiple age-related risk factors.
Messages for Good offers a low-barrier, scalable way to bring connection to people who may otherwise be overlooked. Messages from volunteers can include a song, a kind note or a photo of a loved pet. Messages are reviewed and then shared with residents through participating aged care homes.
While working as aged care placement consultants, Co-Founders Jimmy Leishman and Ed Trick saw firsthand the toll that loneliness can take on elderly residents. This prompted the idea for TeaTime, which was first piloted with MACG in April 2024. In the past 12 months, TeaTime has delivered over 35,000 moments of connection between families and care providers.
”We are excited to launch Messages for Good in partnership with Friends for Good. This is a powerful step towards TeaTime’s mission to improve emotional wellbeing across care. It’s a beautiful reminder that connection doesn’t need to be complicated to be powerful. Even a small message can mean the world to someone who is experiencing loneliness. This new channel gives everyday Australians a chance to help the elderly feel seen, valued and remembered,” says Jimmy Leishman, Co-Founder and CEO, TeaTime.
MACG leads the way, bringing TeaTime to all nine of its aged care homes
Leishman highlights MACG’s leadership in technology solutions to improve resident experiences, having been early adopters of TeaTime. “MACG has truly been a pioneer in bringing TeaTime and Messages for Good to life. The residents genuinely look forward to receiving the messages and updates, and we love that we can help to brighten their day,” adds Leishman.
Cameron McPherson, Chief Executive Officer, Medical & Aged Care Group (MACG) says, “We’re proud to be working closely with TeaTime and Friends for Good to roll out the Messages for Good initiative across our homes. At MACG, we are incredibly passionate about building meaningful connections for our residents, and TeaTime shows how technology, when used thoughtfully, can play a powerful role in tackling loneliness in aged care while strengthening human connection.”
“MACG carers have seen first-hand the positive impact that TeaTime has on our residents. It helps them to stay connected to loved ones, as well as the wider community and now Messages for Good is making the app more inclusive by helping those residents who don’t have regular contact with family and friends,” adds McPherson.
Messages for Good offers a modern solution for Australia’s volunteer shortage
Friends for Good is a volunteer driven not-for-profit organisation with a network of over 124 volunteers. “Friends for Good is delighted to be working in partnership with TeaTime, MACG and other aged care providers to bring messages of hope and happiness to seniors via the TeaTime platform. Our amazing volunteers are thrilled to be delivering these messages of joy that we hope will help many to overcome loneliness,” says Patricia Lauria, CEO and Co-Founder of Friends for Good.
A 2022 Volunteering Australia report found that overall volunteering has been declining overtime. This decline has had an impact on aged care settings, where volunteers often play a vital role. Leishman believes that Messages for Good will help to build a national network of volunteers to deliver digital moments of connection.
“During COVID, aged care saw a sharp drop in volunteer participation, and we believe the Messages for Good channel will spark a new era of modern, meaningful volunteering,” added Leishman.