Many older people become isolated from their communities and their friends due to becoming infirm or feeling they have no place in the modern world. This isolation may trigger depression or other anxieties which further increase the isolation felt by older people.
Befriending is a valuable way for anyone to reduce the isolation of an older person.
Our befrienders are all local volunteers who make regular calls and act as friends to either support the people they visit in their own homes, or accompany them to access local services and facilities, such as shops or medical appointments. For administrative reasons (and language practicalities) we divide our befriending into 3 basic blocks:-
- Indian Subcontinent BME Community.
- Chinese Subcontinent BME Community.
- Local White Community.
Our coordinator for the BME Community demonstrates our commitment. "I provide help and support for Elders who are social isolated and lonely. This causes them to become very depressed and can lead to mental health problems."
"With our team of volunteers we accompany services users to appointments, help, support and adovcate on the services users behalf, provide advice and guidance on subjects including health awareness, conversation, translation, and help with accessing services."
"As English is not the first language of my services users this is one of the biggest barriers which they face on a daily basis. Without the support we provide many elders would find it extremely hard to manage their day to day affairs, which in turn has an effect on their confidence and self esteem."
Could you become a Befriender? Click here to find out more