Initiative aims to assist elderly
KARISHMA DIPA karishma.dipa@inl.co.za
The Covid-19 pandemic does not discriminate.
In just about six months, it has infected and killed people of all ages, races, genders, sexual orientations, nationalities, creeds and financial standings from almost every corner of the globe.
But scientific evidence has shown that the elderly are the most at-risk population with authorities urging them to continue to isolate for the foreseeable future despite restrictions being eased in many countries.
While this period of quarantine could potentially save their lives, senior citizens are arguably lonelier than ever before.
In a bid to increase their human interaction while still maintaining social distancing, South African home care agency, Carechamp, is urging fellow compatriots of all ages and backgrounds to foster friendships with the aged during these unprecedented times.
This is part of their “Befriend a Grandparent” campaign, which only requires an electronic device, access to the internet, an open mind and a willingness to engage outside of typical friendship groups.
“See it as an opportunity to learn from another generation, enjoy each other’s company and share stories,” Carechamp co-founder Sylvia
Klopper told The Saturday Star this week.
She explained that this kind of communication was essential during worldwide uncertainty and stress, particularly for the elderly, who are the most vulnerable to the virus due to many suffering from underlying medical conditions and a compromised immune system.
“The coronavirus epidemic is shining a light on loneliness among the elderly population, and now more than ever, we’re seeing how social isolation is a public health concern.”
“Studies show significant negative effects of isolation and loneliness, especially among older adults, and that was before the nation-wide call for everyone to stay at home.
“With friends and family members being urged to keep their distance, even when the lockdown is lifted, it’s time to get creative in how we combat social separation.”
The “Befriend a Grandparent” initiative might have only been launched last week, but it has already been a resounding success.
“This is a virtual initiative, so it can even span across borders, and we have seen submissions from all over South Africa.”
Klopper said most of the interest for the initiative has been from those wanting to create friendships with the elderly, and now they hope to see more senior citizens signing up too.
“The majority of the sign ups come from volunteers wanting to befriend the ‘grandparents’, so we’d love to see a lot more applications from ‘grandparents’, their family members or neighbours helping signing up on their behalf.”
While many of these budding friendships will exist in the digital world, there are fears of unsavoury characters engaging in this project with ill intentions.
In a bid to protect the elderly from this, Klopper explained that Carechamp implements a stringent vetting process to match the elderly with their new friends, which also involves ensuring they share similar interests.
“We have certain questions that the ‘grandparents’ and ‘friends’ answer when applying, which is based on a vetting call of the ‘friend’ as well as interests indicated, their first language, and ages for example, and from there we suggest a pairing.”
While the home care agency provides tips on how to begin and maintain these new friendships, they leave most of it up to the individuals.
“We are purely the brains behind the idea and the matchmaking.
“We have some tips as to how to engage and which potential platforms to use, however, leaving the connection up to the individual’s discretion.”
However, they do suggest frequent video calls, which is a great way to interact without physical contact, as well as phone calls and emails, the communication of pen pals in the modern age.
“We suggest a time commitment for a call once a week or once every two weeks to begin with, but it is really up to the two people we matched to decide how they want to take the relationship forward.”
While new friendships could be beneficial to the elderly and people from all walks of life engaging in this initiative, Klopper hopes that it will live long after the virus is eradicated.
“We are hoping for this initiative to be a lasting initiative as senior loneliness is not just an issue during the nationwide lockdown time.”