Omagh volunteer helping to combat loneliness ‘epidemic’

ONE in five older people in the North say they are too worried about Covid-19 to spend this Christmas with their family, meaning that, for many of our elders, the time of year traditionally spent around the table with loved ones will be a time of isolation and loneliness.

Age NI is a charity who aim to combat the epidemic of elderly loneliness which has emerged and grown in parallel with the Covid-19 pandemic. As part of the ‘The Big Give’ campaign, every public donation Age NI receive will be doubled.

Karen (27), an Age NI volunteer from Omagh, has been helping relieve loneliness and provide companionship for older people in her local community. One of the friends she has made on the other end of the line is 66-year-old Ernie.

Karen said, “I decided to volunteer with Age NI about a year ago after speaking with some older people and realising that the perennial problem of elderly loneliness was one which had been worsened by the pandemic.”

empathy

Karen got in contact with Age NI and went through a series of training courses to ensure that she was the right kind of person for the job – sensitive, empathetic, a good talker and listener who was interested in what other people had to say.

“I was assigned a weekly call with Ernie and we hit it off pretty quickly,” said Karen.

“Ernie has led an interesting life and I love hearing about the places his interests have led him. He was a professional footballer for 15 years and has travelled all over Ireland playing Irish traditional music.”

Speaking with Karen, it becomes clear that volunteering with Age NI is not a purely selfless act – her friendship with Ernie is one which is mutually enriching, brightening up both their lives.

And when we spoke with Ernie, the profound impact Karen and Age NI has had was unambiguous – it ‘brought him back to life’.

“If it hadn’t been for Age NI, I wouldn’t be here,” reflected Ernie.

“Age NI brought me around to normality – Karen is very good, so she is. Such a nice person and so funny and she has the gift of the gab. I always look forward to her calls, we can talk about anything.”

Recalling his first meeting with Karen, Ernie said, “As soon as I was on that very first meeting, I knew this was for me. It’s one of the best things I have ever done.”

Karen pointed out that people are often too quick to dismiss or diminish the depth of connection that can be made over a phone call.

“A weekly phone call can make a big difference in real people’s lives and that should not be belittled or underestimated.

“The more volunteers Age NI have, the more elderly people who can be reminded that they are valued, heard and appreciated again.”

To make a donation to Age NI that will be doubled by ‘The Big Give’ campaign, visit Age NI’s website.

The exact page can easily be found by Googling ‘Age NI The Big Give’.