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Many of those cocoons feel that they are a burden on society, they are afraid of dying alone and believe that the country no longer cares about them.
These are just a few of the harsh findings from a report compiled by a state aid service for the elderly and vulnerable.
The IRD Duhallow report found that when an elderly person hears the number of deaths from the virus, they focus on the message that the average age was over 80.
“Then they hear that several people in another nursing home have died, but that they had underlying conditions, as if that justified their covering and dying,” the report said.
The service, which supports people in North Cork and East Kerry, also highlights that social and emotional isolation is associated with an increased risk of dementia and cognitive decline.
IRD Duhallow operates a friendly telephone contact service for hundreds of people and is based on those calls which has compiled a full report on how they feel during the Covid-19 blockade.
The region covered by the service has one of the highest concentrations of older people in the country.
Many long-lasting isolates are deeply upset and scared that people will die alone without their family having gathered around their bed and not having a proper funeral mass.
A person who called the helpdesk said:
This is terrifying for many of them and they feel that Ireland no longer cares about them. These people feel like they are a burden, almost all the calls I make say “oh, you must be so busy, I don’t want to waste your time” and they feel like they are forgetting while hiding in their houses. It is important to make sure they know they are not a burden and that they do not forget.
Since the closure, many more people have applied to be included in the friendly calling service, while others who have already done so have asked for more frequent and longer calls. The report says they have never had a need for this before, as they had their independence in the pre-Covid-19 era.
This independence has been nearly destroyed and anxious people frequently ask the support team when the cocoon will end.
IRD staff who handle the phone lines say that some calls can take five minutes, but others an hour.
“They would never have been in need before, as they had their independence,” said IRD board chair Breeda Moynihan-Cronin.
“Overnight, this was taken away from them, and all of a sudden these 70-plus freelancers now worry in isolation. They were active, social people, going to shops, hair salons, daycare, bingo and local pub. ”
They may have had friends and neighbors, as well as family members who visited frequently. All of this has stopped.
Celine Clarke, Head of Defense and Communications for Age Action said the current situation has exacerbated some problems older people face, particularly social isolation, loneliness and aging.
“Being disconnected from family and friends raises concerns about social isolation and loneliness, especially for people who are not online, which is about 70% of all people over the age of 65,” said Clarke.
She said the next government must include aging at its center and “respond to the lived experience of our older people that it has ignored for too long for all of us to grow old with dignity.”
Meanwhile, it has emerged that some rural pubs, a key source of contact for many isolated members of the community, particularly the elderly, cannot reopen after closing until a Covid-19 vaccine has been found.
Several rural publicans who are over 70 years old are afraid to reopen due to the threat to their own health and that of older customers.
The Association of Licensed Winemakers (LVA) and the Federation of Winemakers of Ireland have released a number of radical changes proposed to the way those pubs that can reopen will operate.
- Among the measures they suggest are:
- Bars will become distribution bars only if sitting, standing, ordering, paying or drinking at the bar is not allowed.
- Table service only.
- No more than 4 people for every 10 square meters.
- A maximum of 6 at any table.
- Customers must use hand sanitizer upon check-in.
- There is no live music or DJ.
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