Keeping Elders in the Community Connected

Why are community centres so important for elders? We consider the impact that social connection, or lack of it, has on the elders of our community.

It’s no surprise that Covid and the multiple lockdowns over the past couple of years have had a significant impact on our day-to-day lives.

Two years on, Covid continues to have an effect on the population around the world. One group that was particularly affected was the elderly. Not only was the virus itself a major threat to their health, caused by multiple lockdowns heavily impacted their mental and physical wellbeing.

They were often alone with the occasional contact with a few people if any.

The issues that they face is what makes collaboration within the community extremely important as a way of improving mental health.

According to the Office For National Statistics, 3.7 million adults in Great Britain often felt lonely between October 2020 and February 2021. This is just one of many research projects that reported the overall feeling of loneliness across the country.

Visiting family and friends used to come with relative ease, so having to avoid interaction with people in their community was always going to be hard to accept. Unfortunately, for those who didn’t live in households with multiple people, being lonely was the reality that they had to endure.

Now that lockdowns are hopefully a thing of the past, it’s important that we actively encourage community members to come out of their homes and join events that take place nearby.

The vaccines may have significantly decreased concerns about the pandemic, but this doesn’t mean that the virus no longer exists.

It can be worrying for those who have been vulnerable to suddenly accept that Covid is no longer a threat, which is why those who are on the side of caution have valid concerns.

Anab, an elderly St Paul’s local, still has conflicted feelings about going to big social gatherings.

She states:

‘I still worry about being close to too many people, but I want to be surrounded by my family, friends, and the local community’.
– Anab, local elder

This feeling may resonate with other people within the area. Anab adds, ‘I love seeing people, but I’m still getting used to seeing large groups (of people) again’.

If we’ve learned one thing from lockdown, it’s that communities are extremely resilient. The introduction of outdoor activities with social distancing was an amazing approach to keeping people active. Indeed, this approach can still be used for people who still might feel uncomfortable being physically close to others.

It’s the resilience of the locals which ensures that people aren’t left behind.

Places like Docklands provide spaces for all generations, including the elderly, to gather and carry out fun activities, socialise and even learn new skills at the same time. Daytime activities give people something to look forward to, whether it's knitting or light exercise classes. The health benefits in every aspect are easy to see, which highlights the importance of local centres and the facilities that they can provide.

Keeping physically and socially active is vital in ensuring that people don’t suffer alone and that they are surrounded by a supportive community. The local nature of Docklands means that the elderly within the area don’t have to travel far to interact with others. Instead, they can have a sense of community not far from their doorstep.