Age UK (free advice, befriending and affordable household jobs)
England has an ageing population, and often councils are unable to cope with the huge amount of help that many older people need, from guidance on health and benefits to finding people to do odd jobs around teh whouse. Thankfully the charity Age UK is filling in some of these gaps (this charity does not test on animals).
Learn more on how to help our unpaid carers. And read about The Cinnamon Trust (dog walking volunteers for older and disabled people).
Advice and information for older people
Age Co Advice Line (free to call) can advise on financial and mental health issues, plus winter heating allowances, housing associations and care homes. Lines are open 365 days a year from 8am to 7pm.
One delivery driver called when an older lady answered in a coat and hat. He called Age UK and a local person came round to sort out benefits. An example of someone who runs the telephone advice line in a typical day helps:
- A woman needs help to apply for Attendance Allowance
- Helping a person’s father get mobility aids
- Getting help at home, to avoid going in a care home
- Concern over care that someone’s relative is receiving
- How to manage finances, with dementia
- Concern over a spouse, if he she should die
- Ordering a free Age UK LifeBook
- Completing benefits checks
- Helping to find affordable handyman services
- Concern over paying care home bills
- Concern over scammers
Independent Age offers financial advice to older people, from increasing income (often through missed benefits) to getting help for bills and housing costs. This in itself can result in less isolation, as often people stay home, as they are too afraid to spend money on days out or holidays.
Tackling loneliness and social isolation
Age UK Befriending Service has volunteers who visit local people for 30 minutes a week. Or by phone, The Silver Line offers friendship and conversation to anyone feeling isolated. All calls are confidential from trained volunteers, recipients can even speak to someone at night, if they can’t sleep.
Reengage is a similar service that offers free call companions, who phone up for a chat once a week (including ‘rainbow companions’ for LGBT+ older people). It also runs monthly tea parties where volunteer drivers pick you up, to go have tea in another volunteer’s house, along with fellow seniors.
Learn more about befriending volunteers.
Helping older people remain independent
Age UK Handyperson service offers local affordable help from trusted tradespeople for little jobs, like putting up curtain or picture rails, fitting smoke alarms, carbon monoxide detectors and grab rails, or door locks chains. It can also make homes more energy efficient (to save money) by installing energy-efficient light bulbs and draught excluders (including radiator boosters).
