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7 Practical Ways To Help Vulnerable Groups During The Coronavirus Pandemic
From food deliveries to prescription collections
As Coronavirus continues to spread around the world, it has never been more important for individuals to come together and support each other.
Age UK estimates that more than two million people in England over the age of 75 live alone, and more than a million older people say they go for over a month without speaking to a friend, neighbour or family member.
Under national Tier 5 lockdown restrictions, which came into effect at the beginning of 2021, the are advised to stay at home, except for specific purposes such as to for basic necessities (for you or a vulnerable person), seek medical assistance and several other incidents. Those deemed clinically extremely vulnerable are urged to follow resumed shielding guidance, limit the time they spend outside the home and only venture outside for medical appointments, exercise or if it is essential.
According to the latest statistics, as of January 10, the UK saw 54,940 people test positive (daily) for the virus, with 563 deaths (daily) within 28 days of a positive test. As of January 3, 1,296,432 people had been vaccinated against Covid-19.
While more people are now being vaccinated against the virus, the health crisis rages on, so it's imperative to look out for those in our local communities, whether it's picking up a prescription on behalf of someone else, donating blood or doing someone's weekly food shop.
Here’s how you can help vulnerable groups in your local communities during the Coronavirus pandemic:
Contact shopping and meal delivery services
Delivery slots at the likes of Ocado, Sainsbury’s and Tesco are scarce but if you are able to book a delivery slot, consider finding out from loved ones and neighbours what they might be in urgent need of and organise a drop-off straight to their doorstep.
As for takeaway services, Deliveroo announced in March 2020 that the service would be launching a ‘no-contact drop-off service’. An email, sent on behalf of Deliveroo founder Will Shu, explained that the service would be providing restaurants with additional packaging and seals for orders and that they will also launch a ‘no-contact service’ to remove the need for ‘direct contact for both parties’.
Uber Eats and Just Eat also now offer contactless delivery.
While the takeaway delivery services might not be a priority for those in need, the occasional warm cooked meal could be a welcomed treat.
Download a #viralkindness campaign card
Several ‘mutual aid’ groups are coming to light across the UK to offer support for those in self-isolation.
One of the 87 groups to have sprung up in the UK, according to The Guardian last year, is the #viralkindness campaign – launched by Facebook user Becky Wass – which involves postcards being sent to homes with the messages ‘Hello! If you are self-isolating, I can help’.
Volunteers can download the cards and print them off at home. Each card has boxes for neighbours to write down their name, address, phone number and state how volunteers can help, whether that’s bringing urgent supplies, posting letters, giving them a phone call or do some shopping for them.
The government is also in talks with supermarkets for the latter to set up hotlines so elderly people can phone up with grocery orders for home delivery, especially for those who might not have access to the internet.
In March 2020, The Telegraph reported that Andrew Opie, the director of Food and Sustainability at the British Retail Consortium, said: ‘Where people are self-isolating, it is up not just to supermarkets, but also friends and neighbours to support them in getting the goods they need. This is a time for everyone to come together and support one another, particularly those who are vulnerable.’
Go to the local shops for someone
While it’s important to make sure you have the essentials to go on living life as normally as possible, take a moment to consider what others in your local area or relatives might need if they are unable to leave their homes due to self-isolation.
While the government urges people to stay at home, Tif you do need to come into contact with others the NHS advises to keep two metres (three steps) away from anyone you do not live with (or anyone not in your support bubble), particularly older people or those with long-term health conditions if you or they have Coronavirus symptoms.
'You can leave home to buy things at shops or obtain services. You may also leave your home to do these things on behalf of a disabled or vulnerable person or someone self-isolating,' the government notes in its guidelines.
Download the Nextdoor - Neightbourhood App and write a message offering help to anyone in need in your local area.
You can also contact the individual you’ve shopped for by telephone to ensure the items have been received if they are not able to immediately come to the door.
Donate blood
Blood donation is as important as ever.
In March 2020, the NHS issued a statement explaining that the organisation is still asking donors to keep donating as normal ‘unless you have travelled to a coronavirus risk area, been in contact with or been infected by the virus’.
‘There are no confirmed cases of any form of coronavirus being passed on through the donation of substances of human origin such as blood, organs, tissues and stem cells,’ an excerpt of the statement reads.
Please read the following guidance before going to donate blood.
If you have already had the Covid-19 vaccine, you will need to wait seven days after having the jab before donating blood.
All those giving blood will have to wear a 'fabric face covering'. 'This does not have to be a surgical mask but should cover your nose and mouth. Unfortunately, we cannot make any exemptions to this rule. If you can't wear a face covering, please wait to donate when this restriction is no longer necessary,' Blood.co.uk rules state.
Read the specifics on who can and cannot give blood during the Coronavirus pandemic here and the list of countries that you have traveled to or via that might affect your ability to donate blood here.
Donate money and items
While stockpiling - unfortunately - occurred in the early days of the pandemic in the UK (let's not forget toilet roll)-gate, it’s important to remember that resources are scarce for vulnerable members of our population such as the elderly, homeless and hungry.
Foodbanks are currently calling for people to donate items and money as they foresee a decrease in donations in the coming weeks. Find your local food bank via The Trussel Trust here to find out how and what you can donate.
Although the British Heart Foundation's shops are temporarily closed, its freepost donation service is still available across the UK. Find out more here.
Here are several organisations you can donate money to:
Make a call
As we all spend more time in doors for several weeks, it’s essential that human interaction is kept a priority as much as possible.
If you know someone who is on their own for prolonged periods of time during the outbreak, make sure to check in on them via FaceTime, Skype Whatsapp, text message or over the phone.
Whether it’s a quick conversation about the weather or a discussion about up-coming Netflix shows, it’s crucial that people know that others are close by to offer a friendly ear.
Collect someone's medication for them
With many elderly and vulnerable members of society in isolation with limited contact with the outside world, remember that you can sign up on behalf of loved ones and friends in order to get the correct medication to them during lockdown.
Note down a list of the medication the individual takes and register online for the Electronic Prescription Service, which allows prescribers to send prescriptions electronically to a dispenser, such as a pharmacy, of the patient's choice.
You can sign up on behalf of someone else but will require specific information to do so, as long as the person has told the pharmacy that they are happy for you to do so.
If a GP surgery has issued a paper prescription, you can collect this – as long as the individual has notified their surgery they are happy for you to collect it. You will be asked to provide the person’s name and address for whom you’re collecting the prescription, the NHS states.
If you're collecting a 'controlled medicine' (eg morphine, pethidine and methadone) for someone, you might be asked to produce proof of identity by the pharmacist. They may also confirm with the patient that their medicine is being collected by someone else.
The organisation continues, explaining that you can take a prescription to the pharmacy to collect someone else's medicine, as long as they complete part 1 of the prescription form (FP10) and the person collecting the medicine completes parts 2 and 3. Find out more here.
Visit the World Health Organisation website and the NHS website to find out the latest information regarding the coronavirus.
Katie O'Malley is the Site Director on ELLE UK. On a daily basis you’ll find Katie managing all digital workflow, editing site, video and newsletter content, liaising with commercial and sales teams on new partnerships and deals (eg Nike, Tiffany & Co., Cartier etc), implementing new digital strategies and compiling in-depth data traffic, SEO and ecomm reports. In addition to appearing on the radio and on TV, as well as interviewing everyone from Oprah Winfrey to Rishi Sunak PM, Katie enjoys writing about lifestyle, culture, wellness, fitness, fashion, and more.
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