Cocooners terrified of dying alone as many feel like burden on society
Many of those cocooning feel they’re a burden on society, are terrified of dying alone and believe the country doesn’t care about them any more.
These are just some of the stark findings from a report compiled by a State-aided support service for the elderly and vulnerable.
The report by IRD Duhallow has found that when an elderly person hears the number of virus deaths they hone in on the message the average age was over-80.
’’Then they hear that several people in yet another nursing home have died, but that they had underlying conditions, as if that justified them getting Covid-19 and dying,’’ the report said.
The service, which supports people in North Cork and East Kerry, also highlights that social and emotional isolation is associated with an increased risk of dementia and cognitive decline.
IRD Duhallow operates a friendly phone contact service for hundreds of people and it is based on those calls that it has compiled a comprehensive report on how they are feeling during the Covid-19 lockdown.
The region the service covers has one of the highest concentrations of elderly people in the country.
Many enduring isolation are deeply upset and scared that people are dying alone without their family gathered around their bed and have had no proper funeral Mass.
One support caller said:
This is terrifying many of them and they feel that Ireland doesn’t care about them anymore. These people feel they are a burden, almost every call I make they say ‘oh you must be so busy, I don’t want to be wasting your time’ and they feel they’re forgotten as they are cocooned away in their houses. It’s important to make sure they know they’re not a burden and they are not forgotten about.
Since the lockdown a lot more people have requested to be included in the friendly-call service, while others already on it have asked for more frequent and longer-lasting calls. The report says they’d never had the need for this before, as they had their independence in the pre-Covid-19 era.
This independence has been all but destroyed and the support team are frequently asked by anxious callers when cocooning will end.
IRD personnel manning the phone lines say some calls could last five minutes, but others an hour.
“They would never have had the need before as they had their independence," IRD board chairman Breeda Moynihan-Cronin said.
"Overnight this was taken away from them and all of a sudden these independent over 70’s are now worrying in isolation. They were active and social people, going to the shops, hairdressers, day care centers, bingo and the local pub.
They may have had friends and neighbours as well as family members dropping in on them frequently. This has all stopped.
Celine Clarke, Head of Advocacy and Communications for Age Action said the current situation has exacerbated some issues facing older people, particularly social isolation, loneliness and ageism.
“Being disconnected from family and friends raises concerns about social isolation and loneliness especially for people who are not online, which is about 70% of all people over the age of 65,” Ms Clarke said.
She said the next government has to include ageing at its centre, and "respond to the lived experience of our older people that has ignored for too long so that we can all age with dignity."
Meanwhile, it has emerged that some rural pubs, a key sources of contact for many isolated members of the community, particularly the elderly, may not re-open after the lockdown until a Covid-19 vaccine has been found.
A number of rural publicans who are over 70 themselves are fearful of reopening due to threat to their own health and that of elderly customers.
The Licensed Vintners’ Association (LVA) and the Vintners’ Federation of Ireland have published a series of radical proposed changes to the way those pubs that can reopen will operate.
- Bars will become dispense bars only with no sitting, standing, ordering, payment or drinking at the bar allowed.
- Table service only.
- No more than 4 people per every 10 square metres.
- A maximum of 6 at any one table.
- Customers will be required to use hand sanitiser upon entry.
- No live music or DJs.
