I am a Warwickshire resident, and have enjoyed a long and successful career, working for many years at home and abroad. I returned to the UK when my mother became frailer and needed more support.
The experience of looking after my mother - observing the confusion, frustration and worry she developed around what appeared to be very simple issues, grew my understanding of the problems we can all face in later life. I learnt how to motivate my mother each day and ensured she got the medical and other support she needed when she became less able to articulate those needs for herself. While I had more contact with my family once back in the UK, I hadn’t yet managed to develop a network of friends in my local area.
My experience of supporting my mother fired my passion for helping others in a similar situation. At the start of the pandemic, I joined the volunteer workforce of a COVID-19 Support Group.
The Group was set up to provide help to those who had to isolate or shield - mainly those aged over 70 years. Within 36 hours of asking for support 500 volunteers had stepped forward, all of whom were then trained, and DBS checked.
I joined the Support Group’s telephone and email team, a dedicated team of around 15 volunteers -drawn from all walks of life, from retirees to those juggling children and businesses. Once the word got out that help was available, and in the first week alone, the team dealt with some 4,500 enquiries - either from those needing help directly or who were seeking help on behalf of others. The team were confronted with callers in tears, frightened by what they were hearing on the news; those who were alone due to having no family or friends close-by or unable to get hold of cash or to collect their pensions; those with no access to the internet or food delivery slots or children scared for the welfare of their parents.
COVID-19 seemed to lay bare the issues already facing many older people in the community – those who were alone, the bereaved, those caring for a loved one or coping with long-term illness and whose feelings of loneliness, isolation and fear suddenly became much worse as the pandemic took hold. To date the group has dealt with over 30,000 enquiries.
I didn’t realise the problem was so widespread, and it’s not just pandemic related. So many people’s lives are difficult, and their plight largely remains hidden…. often people don’t have time to notice what is happening on their own doorstep - they’re just too busy. But thankfully there are more of us who are now more aware. We know we cannot stop when the pandemic is finally over. There is a large cohort of people who will still need on-going support, and we have lots of plans to ensure they are not forgotten - from befriending groups, meal delivery services, afternoon teas, history and crafts clubs.... I’ve always had lots of energy and drive, and this has been the perfect opportunity to use this positively in my own community. I’ve gone from not really knowing anyone where I live to knowing hundreds of people, and that’s a great feeling!
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