Time to knock in to elderly neighbours

Elderly people living alone can be particularly vulnerable during extreme weather conditions such as Storm Emma, especially if they suffer from ill health or live in homes that are difficult to heat. We sought advice from Justin Moran, head of advocacy and communications with Age Action about how to help your neighbours:

Pick up the phone

In such bad weather conditions, everybody needs to keep safe, no matter what their age. However, picking up the phone regularly requires very little effort and it brings a sense of comfort to your neighbour that there is someone nearby who cares. This also means that they feel more comfortable picking up the phone to call you, if they need to.

Check up in person

If it is safe to do so, there is nothing like seeing a familiar face, especially if your neighbour is living on their own. Before you pop around, ring and give them a time that you plan to arrive so they expect your visit. Also ask if they are stocked up on supplies so you can bring anything that is needed. Although people are being advised not to travel today unless it is an emergency, neighbours may need food, fuel or prescriptions.

Run through the checklist

Age Action is advising all their members to take the following steps during the bad weather and it may be worth running through the checklist together, to make sure everything is in order:

Remain calm if there is no answer

If the situation arises that your neighbour doesn’t answer, that’s when you may start to really worry about their wellbeing. The first thing to do is to contact a relative, if you have their number. Perhaps your neighbour has gone to stay with family during the cold snap.

If that’s not possible, then you should let the gardaí know. It is not advisable to break in, even if you are very worried, as this will really frighten your neighbours.

For more information, log on to www.ageaction.ie