In every community, there are many older people living on their own, feeling lonely and isolated from their friends and neighbours. There are all sorts of reasons people become socially-isolated: children moving away, the death of a partner, even giving up driving. Put simply: people who’re alone need someone to chat to; they need someone who has time to listen.
That’s why Chapel St’s Link Line team are working hard to develop a telephone support service and believe in the benefits of care over the phone. Their work has just been featured on the ‘When They Get Older’ blog.
John Wilson, Project Director says, ‘The fact is it’s easier to make contact by phone, rather than arranging to visit people but that’s not to say the visiting people should be done away with – the importance of human contact should not be underestimated. Using a phone support system means we can connect more often, with more people.’
Chatting over the phone is just one part of what Link Line does but the team has found that it’s often these regular conversations with members that provide real emotional care for those who feel lonely within the community.
Scheduled telephone calls make members feel cared about and connected again. They feel less isolated and therefore less stressed. This emotional care over the phone is extended to practical care in the home when, during conversations, members mention odd-jobs they need doing or medical appointments they need to attend.
By taking the time to have these chats with members Link Line helps them become comfortable with a new person in their life, which then enables the service to support them in doing do small tasks around their home.
‘When we help our members with chores in their home or accompany them on shopping trips and visits to the hospital we get to spend time with them on a personal basis which allows us more face-to-face time. By the same token taking care of our members’ day-to-day needs enriches the conversations we have with them over the phone,’ says John.
An older person’s home is often an extension of them, and it can become stressful if there are niggling issues around the home such as housework left undone or small things that needed fixing. Older people are often not as physically able as they once were and don’t know who to turn to in order to get things done. So the practical support Link Line can provide actually has a psychological benefit and contributes to its members’ overall wellbeing.
About Link Line
Link Line is a telephone support and errand services that runs from the Cassidy Medical Centre in Fulham. An initiative of Chapel St’s Community Connections you can call 020 3667 6778 or visit our web site now for more information about the project.
For more information on supporting an elderly parent
Visit the ‘When They’re Older’ web site.
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