Wairarapa’s locally owned community newspaper
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2020
INSIDE: Looking after kids’ teeth P3
P4
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Age Concern aiming for online Eli Hill Through loneliness, isolation, and tough times, Age Concern Wairarapa has supported older people in the community. But as more of the world shifts online, the organisation wants to get its own website – and it needs help from the community. Age Concern Wairarapa runs a volunteer visiting service, elder abuse response service, networks, a range of health programmes, and raises awareness of issues facing older people. Many older people are self-reliant, healthy, and only use the service to meet new people or join exercise groups.
But there are also elderly who are lonely and feel socially isolated that the service want to help, manager Linda McCarthy said. “During lockdown, we spent a lot of time ringing
our older community to make sure that they were okay. “We started with 10-minute calls and at the end of lockdown, many of the calls were 45 minutes to an hour long – they just
needed someone to talk to.” Age Concern Wairarapa’s Accredited Visiting Service has a small army of about 60 volunteers who meet with people who are isolated,
have no family, and would like regular company. “The same visitor will visit the same person all the time. “They might read to them, have a cuppa, and share stories. “Some of the volunteers have been visiting for many years. “What we have noticed is that, after lockdown, there are some older people who are too frightened to go out.” McCarthy said it was important to promote people going outside, doing exercise, seeing friends, and meeting people. In its most recent newsletter, the service gave advice about everything from gaslighting to taking care of physical, mental, and emotional health. Tips for older people to Continued on page 3
Accredited visiting coordinator Fran Reardon, manager Linda McCarthy, and health coordinator Rachel Ingram. PHOTO/ELI HILL
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