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Organizations that work with older people and those that live alone have called for more clarity on the circumstances in which people can bring other people into their homes.
Under current restrictions, people are asked not to have visits to their home or garden, except for essential purposes.
Examples cited are the provision of care for children, the elderly or vulnerable people, particularly those who live alone.
But the organizations say it is not entirely clear what this means in practice and at all levels of restrictions.
Among those affected is Tom McArdle, who lives alone in Dublin.
She said what was most difficult for her in March, when restrictions were at their peak, was not being able to have her children and grandchildren visiting.
He said there is a big difference between a phone call and having them there in person.
Alone CEO Sean Moynihan said the government must ensure that people’s physical and mental health needs are supported.
You would like more clarity on how to meet people’s emotional needs and loneliness that some are experiencing.
Moynihan said it is now clear that it is okay to visit people for their physical health care needs.
But, she asked, was it okay to visit someone if they are struggling with mental health issues due to isolation or loneliness? And how can that be managed?
He hopes that the National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET) will issue clear guidance on this in the coming days.
Experts say that the isolation problem doesn’t just affect older people. Collegiate psychologist Allison Keating said she knows people who spend all day alone.
In some cases, they have very demanding jobs and are in front of their screens all day.
They don’t see their colleagues in person and then there is no social contact outside of that. He said that cohort of people is really struggling.
Deputy Medical Director Dr. Ronan Glynn said yesterday that NPHET is seeking guidance for those living alone and for single-parent families.
Age Action Ireland spokesperson Celine Clarke said it was really important to be clear on how to manage the risk of coronavirus for people experiencing isolation in order to create some kind of support network, especially in the face of winter.
Tom McArdle said he has some hope that his children will be able to visit him one by one in the coming weeks.
But what he fears most with the new restrictions is that they will arrive at a time when the nights are getting darker, and “this makes the nights very long.”
Organizations that provide counseling and support to people experiencing loneliness include Aware, Age Action Ireland the Samaritans.
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