One of the campaigns we have supported since the summer is Bluebird Care’s Every Visit Counts – a national awareness drive to help reduce loneliness among older people.
The campaign brings expert tips and highlights ways that everyone can help to spot and beat loneliness in society.
Our three Bluebird Care clients have all supported the campaign and if this silent epidemic is to be tackled and turned around, then as a society we all need to step up and do our bit.
Across the South East, nearly a fifth (17%) spend nearly a month (24 days) a year without seeing anyone. according to a poll carried out by Bluebird Care.
The survey of 1,000 over 65-year-olds, found 11% spent five days or more a month without seeing anyone.
The poll also found that in the South East:
- Four in 10 (40%) feel lonely either often or sometimes.
- A third (31%) would not admit to someone they trust that they are lonely.
- Four in 10 (42%) say they do not have access to support when they are feeling lonely.
From introducing a dog-visiting service, to throwing an afternoon’s Bake-Off event for people with dementia and their carers, to getting behind the campaign publicly and urging others in their communities to do the same, all our homecare clients supported the initiative because they see first-hand the scale and effect that this problem has.
We supported the campaign with press releases, media liaison, social media messages and helped kick-start further interest in a #magicmoments social media initiative, where staff from one Bluebird Care office challenged each other to create a magic moment with an older person and share it on Facebook. They would then challenge someone else to do the same thing. You can read some of our coverage below.
Their teams of highly-trained care assistant do an amazing job, supporting people in their own homes, providing them with the daily contact they need and keeping them safe and well. But they are also aware that thousands of older people across the UK do not have this help and much-needed daily contact and that’s where we can all do our bit.
