Impact of Covid

The impact of Covid, on those we serve has been dramatic. We have serious concerns about their longterm health and wellbeing. During Covid, they were locked and isolated from vital interaction with peers, families and the care team at Tapestry. They lost access to important activities and services and to healthy food

Their Carers were isolated for long periods which was damaging to their physical and mental health and their ability to care.

Individuals who have had the virus have new mental and physical health needs that may be temporary or, in many cases, will require long-term care and support.

Families of those who have either recovered from or died from the virus now need support and the evidence suggests that many people will be affected by the psychological trauma of exposure to, or fear of, the disease.

Tapestry exists to support all vulnerable adults in the community, this has been predominantly older, disabled people, those living with dementia and/or other cognitive illness and their Carers.

Covid has changed this.

Many people have had their physical and mental health seriously affected by the virus either directly, having suffered from it and/or from symptoms of long Covid, or indirectly, by the illness/death of a close family or through the phycological trauma, anxiety and loneliness caused by this trauma, or the lockdown itself.

As a result, Tapestry is now working with a wider range of vulnerable people than before and it has refocused and adapted its activities to meet the needs of a changed local population.

We now work with all local public sector stakeholders and local voluntary organisations, to

• Establish a renewed focus on those most at risk such as, those leaving hospital and people from those communities most affected by Covid, such as the local BAME communities

• Tackle loneliness and isolation through facilitating companionship through activities and services

• Provide access to healthy affordable food including hot meals at home and at HüBs

• Provide opportunities for at risk individuals and those excluded from main stream opportunities to exercise for fun and for health

• Identify and contact those, that are currently not known to us, that are most at risk of mental and physical health deterioration

• Provide personalised packages of support measures to these individuals to protect their physical and mental health and wellbeing

• Provide personalised/tailored support packages to those with high needs

• Support carers of those at risk

• Support families affected by the financial impacts of the cost of living

• Provide social prescribing solutions

This will ensure that the health and wellbeing of the most vulnerable, and at risk, and those recently made vulnerable by the pandemic, are supported to continue to live healthy, connected lives in their homes.

By doing this we will also support wider society by ;

• Ensuring that those that are released from hospital, do not ‘bounce back’ due to insufficient support at home.

• Reducing the number of people having to contact their GP’s, attend A&E, be hospitalised and moved to care homes or other statutory services.

• Protect primary and secondary health care services.

The Covid pandemic has changed the profile and number of people we support permanently.

To deliver our mission we are committed to the following key actions in 2023-24

1. A HüB expansion plan funded by Reaching communities’ fund

2. Providing care and support services for clients living with high needs dementia, funded by the City Bridget Trust

3. Increasing access to health food for vulnerable and at-risk groups

4. Increasing access to exercise and improving physical health of vulnerable and at-risk groups

5. Reducing loneliness for vulnerable and at-risk groups