How volunteers can help the lonely
SELF-ISOLATION is necessary to protect yourself and others from the virus — but it can be dangerous, particularly for those over 70.
It can lead to loneliness and can affect mental health. And being stuck indoors may mean you do less exercise, so keep your brain busy with reading and doing puzzles — and keep moving even if that just means a walk around the garden several times a day, or getting up and moving from room to room.
The charity Mind UK recommends using this time at home to do a spring clean and sort out things you no longer want. You could also catch up on letter-writing or doing admin tasks you have put off.
For over-70s who are confident online, it would also be a good time to learn a new skill. Learning with Experts (learningwith
experts.com) offers a range of courses taught by industry experts in, for example, antiques and garden design. You can also group chat and direct message your tutor and online classmates.
If you’re lonely, call The Silver Line, a helpline for older people set up by Esther Rantzen, on 0800 470 8090. You can also call Independent Age on 0800 319 6789, Age UK on 0800 055 6112, or Friends of the
Elderly on 0300 332 1110 to receive a weekly or fortnightly friendship call from a volunteer who enjoys talking to older people.
If you are worried about friends or relatives, William Keevil, a professor of environmental healthcare at the University of Southampton, advises staying in contact by telephone or, if they know how to use it or can pick up the skills quickly, by Facetime and other instant or video messaging services.
‘Make sure they are feeling well and receiving food and any medication they take,’ he says. ‘If the person has regular visits from support workers, make sure they can continue attending regularly. If the health visitors become ill, be prepared to bring food and medicines yourself. Leave these on the doorstep, or open the door and have a chat without going in.’
Volunteers are mobilising to help those who are isolated. Dozens of support groups have sprung up, including on Nextdoor, a local neighbourhood online network, and Covid-19 Mutual Aid UK, on Facebook and WhatsApp. They are coordinating to offer people in self-isolation help with shopping, dog walking and picking up prescriptions.