Calls to ALONE charity top 100,000 as coronavirus pandemic sparks increased calls for help

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More than 100,000 calls to older people in need of support have been placed by ALONE since March.

The charity, which supports older people to age at home, revealed the statistics on World Elder Abuse Awareness Day. It called for protection of older people against violence, abuse and neglect.

Since March, ALONE's support line has received 23,833 calls for support, while the charity's volunteers and staff made 102,753 calls to older people in that time. That is in addition to some 15,400 instances of practical support, such as collecting groceries or prescriptions.

ALONE is providing support to 12,616 older people who require support for difficulties with loneliness, health, finances, housing, accessing services and responding to Covid-19.

The organisation is warning that more people are susceptible to elder abuse amid the Covid-19 pandemic and have experienced a loss of independence due to coronavirus safety and public health restrictions.

Many older people who would have been independent before the Covid-19 outbreak are now relying on others for support and assistance in their day-to-day lives. Cocooning and social distancing measures have resulted in reduced home care services and other support services for older people, having a detrimental effect on their overall physical and mental wellbeing. There has also been a reduction in older people going into institutions such as hospitals and care homes to receive necessary care.

The organisation is urging members of the public to remain vigilant and to safeguard our older people while also encouraging older people who are suffering from abuse or negligence to reach out and seek help.

Seán Moynihan, ALONE CEO, said: "There are many different types of abuse of an older person, such as physical abuse, psychological abuse or financial abuse. These may be carried out deliberately, or through negligence. An older person may experience more than one form of abuse at any given time, unfortunately many feel too ashamed to come forward and seek help.

"Many older people are at an increased risk of suffering from abuse now as the Covid-19 pandemic continues to affect older and vulnerable people. Individuals who would have been independent before this crisis now have to rely on people where they didn’t before, and many of these individuals feel that their independence has been stripped away to some extent. We need to address this issue now to prevent it worsening over the coming weeks and months."

ALONE can be contacted on 0818 222 024 or [e-mail].