Leeside loneliness continues post Covid
“It's been a long road back for a lot of older people to find their former lives.”
Those were the words of Jacqueline Fitzgibbon, Coordinator at Friendly Call Cork, a free telephone support service for people feeling lonely or isolated in Cork.
The service, which is based in Churchfield in Cork city, has seen a significant surge in older people reaching out, something Ms Fitzgibbon said goes back to Covid.
“The numbers doubled over Covid,” she told the Cork Independent.
“After Covid we had a number of hospital crises and a lot of older people whose health was vulnerable were very nervous about going out,” added Ms Fitzgibbon.
Friendly Call Cork’s latest figures show that over 4,000 people reach out to the service every month.
The figures were released following the publication of new research from the Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (TILDA) at Trinity College Dublin. The study explored the impacts of social disconnection and its link to a wish to die among older people.
Out of the 8,000 people questioned, 4% reported feeling they would rather be dead while 10% exhibited clinically significant levels of depression.
Friendly Call Cork was established in 2010 in response to the growing concern about loneliness and social isolation among older adults in the community. Volunteers call clients at a pre-arranged time to check in on them. The calls are usually brief, but they can be extended based on the needs of the client and can cover a wide range of topics such as general well-being, daily activities, concerns about health, and any issues the client might be facing.
Ms Fitzgibbon said awareness of the dangers of loneliness to one’s mental and physical health has increased in recent years. “There's been quite a drive to highlight this to people. As there's more awareness, and when we get any bit of publicity, we get more and more people coming to us.”
Ms Fitzgibbon said loneliness can often set in for older people once they stop working. and their family has grown up.
She said: “The people we encounter, a lot of them would have been referred by a public health nurse or their doctor, by family, by friends.
“I think with loneliness and isolation, we feel that in our gut as humans.
“It's quite intrinsic to us to be social,” she added.
Ms Fitzgibbon also pointed out that two thirds of Friendly Call Cork’s clients are women, something she said has long been the case.
“The reasons for it are a little bit harder for us to discover,” she explained.
“Women live longer than men, so you are more likely to have a woman end up living on her own with her husband having died and the family all grown up.
“Another factor is that women are certainly much more likely to reach out for connection and help. Women are more likely to go to the doctor and I think they are more likely to do things like this, if you look at clubs and events and community groups, it's all a lot of women,” added Ms Fitzgibbon.
Anyone who wishes to avail of Friendly Call Cork's services or who wants to sign up as a volunteer can call 021-4301700 or email friendlycall@partnershipcork.ie.