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Some psychologists suggest allowing lonely people to interact in social bubbles because complete enforced loneliness can seriously damage emotional health.
Example: Great Britain?
“I agree that it is necessary to tighten the restrictions, but it seems to me that the saying that only one family should communicate could be improved.” I think it would be possible to think of certain exceptions for people who feel lonely, ”education expert Unė Kaunaitė told BNS on Monday.
Former adviser to Prime Minister Saulius Skvernelis says Lithuania could follow Britain’s lead.
“I use the British example, where there are exceptions, despite all the restrictions, for people who are the only adult in their household, be it a completely single person, a single mother with a young child, a single father or an adult that cares for a person with a disability, ”said the expert.
“In all these cases, they allow the formation of a support bubble, as they call it. You choose another home to form that bubble,” he added.
A government resolution passed Sunday left exceptions for close contacts in urgent cases where help is needed to care for people who are sick or unable to care for themselves.
However, according to the former prime minister’s adviser, younger loners have not been given more thought.
In all these cases, they allow the formation of a support bubble, as they call it. You choose another home with which to form that bubble, – said Unė Kaunaitė.
“Those people who have not been thought about are younger people,” said U. Kaunaitė. He added that the absence of exceptions in communication can generate long-term problems in society.
The “Maltese” call the lonely old men
Dalia Kedavičienė, General Secretary of the Order of Malta Aid Service for Single Elders, told BNS that the organization’s volunteers now not only bring food to the elderly, but also call to communicate with them.
Communication is the basis for people to feel less separate, said D. Kedavičienė.
“Everyone needs to eat and there is a vital function here that needs to be supported, but that loneliness, communication especially now that we are closed, becomes especially relevant, that is what we are focusing on now – we are calling them,” said the boss. of the organization.
“Communication is the basis for making people feel less isolated,” he added.
According to her, in total there are about 1.5 thousand. volunteers, many of whom are currently interacting with single seniors.
“I’d say two-thirds of these volunteers do it all the time. New people are joining, especially during the quarantine, new people really want to join, ”said D. Kedavičienė.
According to her, volunteers also provide information about phone scammers to single parents.
The Maltese currently occupy about 2.6 thousand. the elderly, provide them with food aid, the elderly visit their homes at regular times outside of quarantine and organize various social events.
The organization focuses on the elderly living below the poverty line.
D.Kedavičienė stated that due to the threat of the spread of the coronavirus, the volunteers currently working with the elderly have taken safety measures, for example, food carriers are delivered without contact with the elderly.
“It is difficult to be without live contacts for a long time”
Paulius Skruibis, a psychologist at Vilnius University (VU), says that it is difficult for people to stay for a long time without live communication.
“Man is a social animal, communication is important to us. We can partially replace live communication remotely, but it is difficult to be without live contact for a long time,” P. Skruibis told BNS.
Man is a social animal; communication is important to us, says P. Skruibis.
Supports the idea of ”social bubbles” to ensure that single people can communicate.
“One should think of some kind of safe way: create social bubbles so that people who live alone have the opportunity to communicate live with at least someone. There is a big problem here,” said the psychologist.
According to him, the lack of live communication for a long time is a “sensitive problem” that can have consequences for the emotional health of a person, so it is necessary to provide for exceptions.
“I think as we continue to think through the details of the decisions, we need to think about the real option for those who live alone,” Skruibis said.
According to the psychologist, the problem of loneliness does not choose people according to age, it depends on the person himself.
I think that when thinking more about the details of the decisions, it is necessary to think about the real option for those who live alone – said P. Skruibis.
“People are different. Perhaps a month and a half of living alone and communicating remotely is not much of a challenge, but there are certainly young people whose emotional well-being when alone can significantly worsen,” said the VU associate professor, emphasizing that the exception is relevant for both the young and the elderly.
According to the Department of Statistics, last year the country had 38.3 percent. single-person households, as well as 6.2 percent. households formed by one adult raising at least one child.
A household is defined as a single person or a group of people who live in the same dwelling and who share costs and share the means of subsistence.
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