Covid-19: Take care of our elderly
If someone is aware of an elderly person who needs help or if you are an elderly person who needs help, you should immediately call Solidarity Helping Hand.
Charity organisation Helping Hand is calling on all churches, families, neighbours, care homes and the public to ensure the elderly are cared for medically, that they have enough food and that they are not lonely.
Executive director for Solidarity Helping Hand Hannes Noëth requested churches to compile a list of all their elderly members, especially those that are not in a care home, to ensure they are cared for physically and emotionally during this time.
If someone is aware of an elderly person who needs help or if you are an elderly person who needs help, you should immediately call Solidarity Helping Hand’s social helpline on 012 111 8365 or 063 408 7887.
“We are very concerned about our older people. We get several reports of old people suffering. In the first place, they are very vulnerable to the Covid-19 virus and must be looked after and isolated. However, this makes them, in the second place, extremely vulnerable to be neglected and to become lonely. A community is tested by how it takes care of its vulnerable and especially older people in its midst during times of crisis,” said Noëth in a statement issued by Solidarity Helping Hand’s public relations officer, Phillip Bruwer.
Helping Hand’s appeal follows Lindiwe Zulu’s, minister of social development, announcement that government is currently doing all they can, but that neighbours of elderly people must also have compassion and look after the elderly in their communities. Zulu also indicated that government wants to deploy more social workers to alleviate the distress of older people.
“On the one hand, we appreciate the recognition of the role of social workers during this crisis. However, the government’s social capacity has weakened so drastically in recent years that a crisis like this one cannot be dealt with by government alone. The government’s social system is really being tested in times of crisis. Years of neglect increase our current crisis. We will support the government where necessary, but we will need to help on a large scale from within the community itself. Therefore, our appeal to the community to be an extra eye, ear and helping hand for our older people,” Noëth added.
The Solidarity movement established an emergency fund to help, especially with social work, during the Covid-19 crisis. Donations to the fund can be made by visiting the Solidarity coronavirus crisis centre at www.corona.org.za
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