THIRD AGE: Home help just a phonecall away for the elderly

THREE years ago, Evelyn Wainwright’s husband had a stroke. As she too is disabled, suddenly changing a light bulb or fixing the smoke alarm became impossible tasks.

Until she discovered Age Action’s Care and Repair service.

“All the jobs my husband used to do, the service does now. We took it all for granted, but now it is not possible for either of us to do them. There is no way that he could stand on a ladder or even a chair and replace a light bulb and for that reason alone they are simply fantastic,’’ says Evelyn (pictured above), who contracted polio at the age of three.

“The service is essential for us. We need the help now more than we have ever needed it in our lives. It is not easy to come to terms with that, but that is life.’’

Evelyn, 66, who lives in Tolka, Co Cork, is the regional representative and board member of the Post Polio Support Group (PPSG) and emphasises that no task is considered too small for the Care and Repair team to fix.

“I have asked them for help numerous times. I had a pair of very heavy curtains that needed cleaning but I had no way of getting them down. They came along, took them down, took them to the cleaners and put them back up again for me,’’ she says.

“I have a small garden at the front of the house and they keep an eye on it for me, cutting the shrubs back when necessary. All it needs is a phone call and within two weeks someone will come out and fix it,’’ she says.

“Care and Repair is a simple solution to helping people. In the past sons and daughters may have lived near by and could have helped instead, but that is often not the case now. It is like being a good neighbour,” says Eamon Timmins, Age Action press officer.

The service is free and is funded by the annual innocent Big Knit, which has just been launched. This year Age Action want 65,000 woolly hats to be knitted, with 30c from every hatted innocent bottle going to the charity.

It costs between €100,00 to €120,000 a year to run Care and Repair and there are 800 volunteers in Galway, Dublin and Cork. To ensure that the service is available across the country, Age Action works with local community groups and offers training. So far this year they have fixed 4,700 jobs.

All the volunteers are Garda-vetted and carry photo identity cards, which as Evelyn says is vital. “Bringing people into your home, people you don’t know, it is very hard, especially for older people. So it is great that these people are so trustworthy.”

Evelyn also stresses that there is no reason to be “embarrassed’’ about asking for help. It only takes one phone call.

“Then you just fill in a form to say you are happy and pleased by the work that they have done. There is no way you give them any money.”

If a job is too big for the team, they are happy and willing to recommend other workmen who may be able to fix the problem.

“I needed a small wall to be built around my garden as the trees had been badly affected by frost. They recommended three different builders, I picked one and he was outstanding. I was very impressed by his work.”

* www.ageaction.ie to arrange for a job to be done call Dublin 01-4756989, Cork 021 453 6554, Galway 091 527831 or National Lo-Call 1890 369 369