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Carers urge Wales to make contact with lonely elderly

Published: 26th June 2020 10:55

  

WELSH carers are encouraging people to continue to maintain contact through social distancing with their elderly relatives, friends and neighbours to prevent loneliness as the Coronavirus restrictions are relaxed (June, 2020). 

The team at ISS Healthcare, which has offices at Torfaen Business Centre in Torfaen wants to raise awareness of older people who still aren’t socialising. 

Caroline Jones, Regional Manager at ISS Healthcare, which provides care in Torfaen and the surrounding areas, said: “The understandable need for the lockdown and for the vulnerable and elderly to be shielded at home has led to many becoming lonelier as they are not getting enough social interaction. This can have a devastating impact on their physical and mental wellbeing. To add to this, as the restrictions lift and people go back to their pre-lockdown daily routines and also back into work, they may forget that the elderly are not able to do this. They are missing out on vital socialisation as the social gatherings, lunch clubs, societies and events they used to attend are no longer running for safety reasons.

“While we appreciate these measures are necessary and we understand people have their own lives to lead, we want to take this opportunity to shine a spotlight on the levels of loneliness the elderly and vulnerable live with.

“The Campaign to End Loneliness says there were 1.2million chronically lonely people in the UK before people started self-isolating due to the threat of COVID-19. Age UK says 3.6 million older people in the UK live alone, of these, more than two million are aged 75 plus. They also say loneliness can be as harmful to your health as smoking 15 cigarettes a day. It is believed it can lead to health problems including depression and dementia.

“Understandably, we all need to social distance until the Government says otherwise and we want everyone to stay safe. However, we also appreciate how difficult it can be for older people, especially those who live alone, who have had their routines and social networks interrupted, and the impact this can have on their health.

“While those that we were helping to shield during the lockdown can go out and see people now, this doesn’t mean they aren’t still going to feel isolated and lonely, as they can’t do the same sorts of activities they use to do, or have the same level of social contact and interaction.

So, we’re encouraging people to continue to keep a close eye, at a safe distance, on their elderly relatives, friends and neighbours. To check regularly on them and to call on them when appropriate, while still deploying the safe social distancing measures the Government is advising.

“We want people to remember the older generation at this unprecedented point in our world history. Anything you can do to put a smile on their faces will be a big help during these worrying times. Remember, always to keep two metres away from anyone who is not a member of your own household, wash your hands regularly, wash them well and, also, keep wiping down surfaces.

“Our carers ensure our service users see a friendly face daily, but many others don’t have this, so we’re urging people to step-up their contact with the elderly members of their community, but doing it, clearly, at a safe social distance.”

ISS Healthcare provides care support to thousands of people, with services commissioned through authorities in the area or purchased privately by individual service users or their families.

Its aim is to deliver care, which improves the lives of its service users and that treats them, and their families, with respect, dignity and compassion.

ISS Healthcare believes its services should not only comply with regulatory standards, but that it also delivers excellence and promote overall wellbeing.

Caroline added: “We’re looking for kind and caring individuals to join our team. We can offer people who work in rural areas the opportunity to become a carer in their community. We have found that there are often people living in the same small community as someone who needs care and support and who would be pleased to work for us, if only with one or two people. 

“Anyone looking for work can register with us and we can let them know when work becomes available in their area. Working in a close-knit community enables a richer relationship between the carer and the person supported, as they can have more in common and can also pop in more easily. 

“Where this kind of match between the person needing support and the carer can be made it also helps enormously with safety during the winter months, as locally based carers can almost always reach someone even in heavy rain or snow.”

To enquire about a position, people can call ISS Healthcare on 01495 759977 or leave a message on its Facebook page at https://bit.ly/345tgvU. Alternatively, people can apply for positions via Indeed at https://indeedhi.re/2JBKAiU. 

New recruits are given free uniforms, access to national staff discount scheme for many major brands, as well as 28 days paid holiday, paid travel between calls and paid mileage. 

“We offer competitive wages, generous holiday allocation and a refer a friend bonus scheme. It is a great opportunity for people to achieve recognised qualifications and they’ll also have access to exclusive discounts online and in-store from retailers including Tesco, Primark and Argos, as well as discounts covering holidays and electrical goods.

Being a carer is a highly skilled, professional vocational occupation that is essential to the fabric of our society and the beauty of a job for life means people can start by training with us and work their way up the career ladder gaining further training and qualifications. In today’s changing world of employment, we pride ourselves on being able to offer long-term job security and career prospects.

“Thanks to modern technology we are able to conduct interviews via FaceTime and Skype for speed and to ensure people don’t leave their homes unnecessarily. We could receive a person’s application and have them on a FaceTime call the same day. The Government has also taken steps to ensure a quicker turnaround on DBS checks, so we can get people into work even quicker.”

ISS Healthcare offers flexible and supported work for kind, committed and reliable people, who have excellent communication skills and a genuine care for others.

For more information about ISS Healthcare, please call 01495 759977 or visit www.isshealthcare.co.uk

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