With around 10 percent of elderly people reporting that they feel lonely, Laura McGoldrick observes an initiative from ‘Age Concern’ where an elderly person who is on their own is matched to a volunteer who visits them each week for an extended period of time. The program is never more important than at Xmas, where these visits can be the highlight of the festive period.
Beverly Warren welcomes the support of an Age Concern volunteer visitor - and the prospect of nipping out for an icecream.
Age Concern says 10 per cent of people aged over 65 suffer from severe loneliness and isolation.
The organisation matches an older person's needs with a volunteer who cansocialise with him or her, have a cup of tea with them or take them out. The visits are weekly.
Volunteer Dick Ayres visits Beverly Warren.
"I'm a new member of the Age Concern group, the volunteer group, that is," says Ayres.
"The opportunity came up to deliver a range of beautiful Christmas cakes. They've all been most delighted to get such a lovely gift. It's been a pleasure just providing them."
"I felt I should be doing something to help so I decided to do this and it looks pretty good to me."
"I've spoken to all the staff in the office and I've met some of the volunteers and they're just amazing people, but the ones that are really at the top of it is the people we visit ...
