Loneliness, isolation and a sinking feeling of sadness has crippled so many people during the last 12 weeks – and those who live alone or who are in poor health have been among the hardest hit.
Whilst coronavirus has presented many challenges for lots of different people, here at Red Homes we have ensured that our residents have remained active and occupied at all times, especially as they have been unable to see friends and relatives face to face.
Loneliness Awareness Week (15 -20 June), this week, is giving us the platform to highlight how positivity and the importance of ‘connection’ has been in helping us to get through the days of lockdown, and further improve on our residents’ wellbeing.
Our daily craft and exercise schedules have brought people together more than ever before and we have even witnessed new friendships emerge.
But whilst we recognise and acknowledge that simply having a full roster of activities does not always address the issue of loneliness, we know it certainly goes some way towards helping.
Roger Daniel, Chief Executive Officer at Red Homes says:
“Our residents become part of the Red Homes family when they arrive with us, and with that comes a deep understanding of their interests and personal needs, right from the get-go.
“Across all four of our homes, our teams take the time to get to know the residents – they sit with them, talk to them and listen to them, so that a connection that’s based on trust, care and total understanding can be made as soon as possible.”
Certainly, living in a care community provides residents with a warm and supported environment, but engagement and connection is vital to help those who may feel lonely from time-to-time.
Together, our teams are doing great things day in, day out to ensure that each and every one of our residents receives the highest levels of care, with inclusivity at the core.
At Red Homes, we know that we can’t banish feelings of loneliness completely, but what we do know is that we can continue to do our utmost to give everyone the choice to be involved in fully-inclusive programmes of activities – no matter what their age.
Loneliness does ebb and flow throughout everyone’s life depending on personal circumstances, and during what is such an important week, we know that we are going some way towards helping alleviate feelings of sadness and loneliness amongst our communities of residents.
It takes very special people to form connections with our residents and we know that we have those very special people with us. Loneliness may not have left our doors completely, but our teams pull together to ensure that it stays at bay.
