My neighbour just created a local on line group so we can all look after our old and vulnerable people who may not have family or friends around them. How lovely I thought but I was feeling rather helpless because obviously I can't get out and about to help. BUT it got me thinking, I'm talking to my dad every day on the phone and making sure he's ok and just talking about anything really. Now that's something I can do - talk!! some would say too much - but seriously, just taking 5-10 mins a day to have a chat with someone who may not have anyone else to talk to might just help a bit whilst they're having to isolate. My neighbour is pulling a list together and we're going to "buddy up". Just putting it out there for anyone who's feeling the same and actually, it might help us too knowing we can do something to help.
Best wishes to all. x
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Mindysooty
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There are similar help groups forming here. I like the idea of a phone chain.
I think that is a great idea , seniors or those living alone can get so lonely . Our mental health is just as important as our physical health . And some seniors may not be interested in the technical world.
It is also very creative of you to think of how you can participate . Good for you .
That's a good idea. My cousin started a group in all the neighborhoods and they knock on the doors of seniors to see if they need anything. Like shopping done or food delivered.
I also talk and chat with family and friends to stay in touch. I only have one immediate neighbor and we talk from a safe distant.
Further, in one of my Facebook groups we're compiling a movie watch list and then discuss the movie.
We'll get through this if we stay positive and as active as possible. Xoxo everyone!
What an awesome idea! I call and talk with my mom on a daily but I will start reaching out to others as well.
Josie to the rescue!!! Great idea.
I am working from home, and I will compile a list of elderly patients who live alone and have no family nearby. I will ring them weekly to see how they are.
We are a community of just 19 homes and because we are on lockdown, we set up an FB group so we can chat and send messages to each other throughout the day. We also have vulnerable residents (diabetics and stroke victims and me) who are able to participate in the conversations. We share the latest news in our town, uplifting messages, jokes and it can’t be helped that sometimes someone shares fake news (though our moderator has given warning that those who share have to make sure of their sources.) Our lockdown will last until April 12 but I feel it will be extended. I also believe that I will miss 2 months injections of Faslodex and Xgeva as I can’t go out😞
Fantastic with the community FB group. Trouble is for someone like my dad, he's all on to operate his TV, we've tried to show him a bit more technology but he just can't take it in bless him. Not so great about missing the injections. In the UK we're waiting for letters giving us more instructions around the restrictions and I believe they'll be giving us info on our medical appointments. My next one is due a week on Thursday so if not I'll have to ring up and find out what to do. I've already got another 2 months supply of Ibrance as they give me 3 months at a time now but Im still supposed to go for bloods monthly and my Denosumab injection (I think that's your Xgeva) . xxx
I have been trying to stay closer to all my friends with phone calls. I also downloaded an app called Marco Polo where you can record a video and send it to your friends. They listen when they have time. Like leaving a message, but video instead of audio. I’m going to try to record a story for my grandchildren on a daily basis. Elaine
That’s a wonderful idea! Can you imagine how lonely these people must be - and terrified!?! So very kind of you to do this. I’ve always thought situations like this being out the worst and best in people. And this is certainly an example of the latter.
Love the idea! I want to help but, like you, I can’t do anything but write & talk. I call my mom in her assisted living home everyday. I do visit her looking through her 1st floor window while we talk on the phone...prison style 😀! I told her I was going to buy her an orange prison jumpsuit. It made her laugh.
I’ve been thinking how I can help. These things came to mind:
1. Write encouraging emails that are personal.
2. Call to connect with people.
3. Write letters & cards.
4. If I played an instrument, I would play the violin & play it outside the nursing home or hospital windows.
5. People here are starting to make colorful fabric & elastic masks for everyone to wear so there are enough “official medical” masks for the health care workers.
6. One of our local pizza places sent pizzas to the local hospital’s ER department.
7. Our church has started a program of outreach calls asking, “how can we help you?” And “would you like to help others?” I’m looking forward to seeing how I can help given my “no exposure to people” condition.
I get great joy in helping others. Being unable to do what I used to do has been part of the unanticipated suffering that came along with this diagnosis.
I’m looking forward to seeing what I can do now. I love the hope and ability of the human spirit.
Lots of great things. our NHS has now set up a volunteer scheme so ive registered for check in and chat. X
OMG. I can't believe you posted that because I just posted the same thing. I live in NY and we are the most of all the states in US and even more spreading than in China and Italy. We now up to close to 18,000 in NY and 9,000 just in NYC. We are basically in shut down mode. No schools are open, restaurants are closed, Broadway shut down. Almost every company is closed in NYC.
The gov. is on now saying here in NY the spreading is getting way way more than once people start getting sick can handle. So in order to flatten the curve, he does NOT want anybody going out. He said this is getting seriously worse and to try and calm down the spreading for just a day, we need to stay indoors.
I know there are elderly and people with kids who had hourly jobs that no longer have money to even buy food if you can find food.
I tried to think of what we could do. He is saying stay inside and away from people. The numbers every thing are scary, rising by thousands of people, not even hundreds. This will be in waves.
The only thing I could come up with was exactly what you mentioned. Knowing the elderly or posting something on facebook. Because the elderly or disabled who live alone must be terrified. And having somebody calling them once a day just to chat for awhile may relieve their anxiety.
Let me know how it goes for you. I am going to try and start it here in Brooklyn, at least.
NY is begging any retired medical help to please come back to work. Its scary to wake up and hear every day the increase in people infected.
But I think if we all have something we can do to help others, will help not only us, but those who are alone. I am going to suggest it on my facebook page.
Seriously, it just came to me about 10 minutes ago and then I read your post and thought OMG....same idea.
It may lessen their fear. And we are all in the protection of our homes to just call and chat.
I feel for you in NYC. I lost my NYC job last April when I got this Dx. I telecommuted from FL but I traveled there a lot. I heard restaurants are selling their food 50% off (cooked or uncooked) via Door Dash delivery. I know you have other food delivery apps that are popular in NYC. That may be an affordable way to get food. ❤️🙏❤️🌈
Many restaurants and take out places that I used to call are no longer open. Now that all NY schools are closed and parents have to stay home with the kids, they do not have the workers needed.
My girlfriend's husband owns a restaurant (Italian) in Brooklyn. She said although restaurants are NOT allowed to open, they are allowed to do deliveries but that her husband could not do it on his own and many of his workers are not willing to come to work bc of children or parents they need to care for so he decided it was better to shut down.
Not everybody has the money to order in food. I did the other day but I ordered like three meals, one for lunch, dinner, and then another dinner the next day. I was glad I had a little cash and I gave the guy who delivered (who rides a small motorbike here and I am not that close) a $10 tip bc they need the money if they are still doing deliveries. The restaurant I ordered from offered no discount, prices were the same.
NYC alone has close to 9,000 infected, NY as a whole has close to 18,000. Every day the number increases in thousands, not hundreds.
I used to order from Peapod. They sent an email saying that they are backlogged and out of many items and are doing their best. They are locked in for days. Many of the other delivery services, same thing. Either they have no delivery workers or they are out of foods or the places they get food from are closed and they are already prebooked for time slots at least a week in advance.
No. Even the regular meals organizations (I am 60 and have MBC, but besides that I am healthy enough and get enough from SSDI) that I would not take. It doesn't matter. They don't have enough workers and in NY it is spreading like wildfire. The Gov. said that we dont have enough beds or ventilators and that in a few days the hospitals are going to be over-packed and we wont' have enough masks, ventilators or even medical personnel.
He is begging retired people to come out of retirement and help. These volunteers are now infected.
It is a trickle down effect. You get thousands of new people infected every day and it trickles down to affecting just about every aspect of your life.
Meals on wheels can barely sustain itself. Many volunteer organizations are being created by people in their own neighborhoods because many non profit organizations are just done or dont have enough people anymore.
The Gov. is begging us not to leave our apts. It is called "flattening the curve" We have thousands now that will soon need hospital care, so he needs to try and make it stop even for a few days otherwise none of us will make it without any hospital care.
He said this is going to go on for months and in waves of people getting infected and then hospitalized.
Great minds lol. Our NHS has now set up a volunteer scheme where they link you up with locals so I registered for check in and chat. lots o creative ways people are coming up with to help people on their own. Take care
To a person that lives alone during this time, something as simple as a phone call can make a world of difference. A former coworker I worked with years ago and was the kindest man on earth is now almost 83 I think.
He lives alone and has no family. (His own mother died in North Carolina at age 105!). He has no siblings. We kept in touch after he retired and he was always very very kind to me and others at out law firm when he worked there.
But I am really the only one left that calls him. I realize by talking to him, he was starting I think to get dementia. Several times his Verizon Fios (internet and TV) was turned off for lack of payment. He would swear to me he remembered paying the bills but obviously he was thinking he did. I was there once and he is a hoarder which is terrifying to see bc I had no idea.
So just before the severity of the virus broke out in NY, he had called me and told me that he decided to suspend the service of his Verizon Fios (he said over an extra $5) they added but I knew immediately he forgot to pay again. He mentioned that he tried to work with a customer rep but she was useless so he had it suspended.
I knew he was lying and I assume he was trying to work out a payment plan but bc this is not the first time, they would not agree to it and wanted it paid in full. So he has no internet, no email and no phone service or any TV at all.
He got some type of prepaid phone. He called and told me he went to church (which is not close to him) and found out he was closed. He has no clue of what is going on bc he has nothing to watch. I tried calling Verizon bc I wanted to pay whatever he owed and have it turned on again (but this was before Verizon was told they could not turn off people's power). They could not let me pay bc I did not have his account number and I get the privacy issue thing.
So he had no idea that churches were closed and was outside and spent two hours g
so I called another former coworker and today she will call him. I said he always asks about you and I think it would make his day to hear from you. So she will call him today. He was coughing alot when I talked to him two days ago and I asked him why he was coughing so much but he got upset and said I am just coughing.
So for now, my friend and I agreed one of each would try and call him twice a week. He has no voicemail on this phone and he never did bc he has no idea to set it up.
So since I live alone and also have no real family, I realize how hard it would be for me if I had no internet, no email, no TV to watch at all.
Best to you and your family dealing with the same fear. Great ideas that people are coming up with on how to help without contact.
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