Seniors feel real isolation
ANGLICARE North Queensland program manager community support services and volunteer Theresa Roberts is horrified by the loneliness single aged pensioners have faced during the coronavirus crisis.
She is in the midst of doing something about it, putting out a call for the donation of a minibus so she can create a socialisation program for the region’s seniors.
“We have seen major problems which Anglicare would really like to address in the next couple of months – single aged pensioners in isolation and how lonely they are,” she said.
“There are stories of them ringing up the local MPs and crying their eyes out.
“Anglicare is trying to put a program together where we go out and pick up the seniors and take them out for a coffee.”
They have the perfect venue already.
Anglicare owns Movenpick & The Yummy Sandwich & Juice Parlour on the Cairns Esplanade. It’s a social enterprise supporting young people with employment opportunities.
“There wouldn’t be any charge to the aged pensioners,” Ms Roberts said.
“Now that things are opening up there wouldn’t be any harm with taking four or five people in a big minibus for a cup of coffee and a piece of cake, or a sandwich and a cup of tea.
“We would all be COVID safe. We just need someone to say ‘hey I’ve got a spare minibus’, it doesn’t have to be anything flash and as soon as we’ve got the minibus we can go the next day.”
Anglicare North Queensland volunteers stepped up to the plate during coronavirus’ biggest impact on Far North Queensland just weeks ago.
As senior volunteers needed to take a backseat during the outbreak, new blood stepped in, Ms Roberts said, inAN cluding a members.
“Our older volunteers will come back to us once restrictions ease, when it’s safe and they feel safe I would love them to come back,” she said.
“We’ve helped so many seniors where we’ve gone and sat with them, gone for a coffee with them or taken them out shopping.
“I’ve seen several people that have got Alzheimer’s coming on, so it’s arranging appointments for them where they haven’t got anyone to help them. I say to my volunteers it’s being that friendly face and talking to them, sitting with them and watching telly and having a piece of cake.”
The annual Seniors Week joins mass event cancellations throughout the region.
The Cairns Regional Council event was traditionally held in August and was cancelled as a result of “ongoing coronavirus restrictions and the need to protect the most vulnerable people in our community”, according to a council spokesman.
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