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Early in the coronavirus pandemic, duty social worker Dan Smart took a call from someone worried about the wellbeing of their elderly father, living alone in a village and fiercely proud of his independence. But rather than trigger an intervention that he sensed would not have been welcome, Smart instead got in touch with a nearby volunteer group.
Although the group was not based in the same village, it nevertheless organised a daily telephone call by one of its members. She found the man in low spirits, saying he felt “bloody useless”, but later reported that after regular chats about gardening, his past life, his wife and family, the man had perked up a bit “and even laughs occasionally”. Bread and milk were delivered, the freezer was topped up and a neighbour cut his large lawn, which had been worrying him. Continue reading...