Alone supported 823 people in Waterford in 2024
ALONE is encouraging people to check in on elderly people to combat isolation.
The national community support organisation ALONE supported 823 people in Waterford last year while 151 people volunteered in the Déise with the organisation.
The figures were relayed to Waterford News & Star by a spokesperson for the organisation as part of its campaign throughout the recent festive season and into the New Year encouraging people to check in with older people in the community to ensure they are safe and well.
The national charity's volunteers delivered over 1,500 Christmas dinners nationwide to older people last month and the spokesperson said that volunteers checked in with over 20,000 older people to ensure their needs were being met.
However, the work doesn't stop there and with around one quarter of older people living alone the charity is encouraging the public to check on people in the community who may be at risk of isolation.
A simple phone call or, where appropriate, a knock on the door can make help ensure someone's safety.
While many older people will be surrounded by loving friends and family, for others, a knock on the door from the charity may be their only social contact. Older people themselves are also encouraged to reach out to the organisation for support if needed.
ALONE is also asking the public to include older people in those New Year’s resolutions, and to consider volunteering to support an older person, by telephone or in person, in 2025.
ALONE has supported over 40,000 older people to age at home across its services in 2024, and demand is increasing all the time. Supports can cover anything from advice on housing adaptation grants to practical supports like home repairs and assistive technology. Anyone with concerns about their own wellbeing, or the wellbeing of an older person they know can contact the National Support and Referral Line from 8am to 8pm on 0818 222 024 or go online to www.alone.ie.
