Colm Burke
Question:450. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health the measures that have been put in place to combat isolation and loneliness during Covid-19; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3370/21]
View answerThursday, 21 January 2021
Questions (450)
Written answers
The COVID-19 pandemic and the associated restrictions have challenged society, especially in the area of human interaction and connectedness. As part of our response to these challenges, the Department of Health has provided guidance and support for people to manage both their physical and mental wellbeing and to stay connected. This guidance has been provided through public health information campaigns, such as our In This Together Campaign, and through information networks including key organisations working with vulnerable people.
Following on from the In This Together, campaign, in November of last year the Department of Health launched the “Keep Well” campaign, which is aimed at supporting our citizens through the difficult winter months ahead. Significant funds are being invested into this new initiative, with €7 million to support the delivery of a range of actions and support services, which will be rolled out over the coming months.
The campaign will encourage us all to do something that is good for us each day or week, like going for a walk, connecting safely with friends or family, engaging in a hobby or reaching out for the supports that we may need. By doing so, we will create balance, routine and resilience. The campaign is focused on five main themes, which include Staying Connected and Minding your Mood.
The Staying Connected theme addresses isolation, supporting volunteerism and initiatives that support person-to-person connection which is important to our wellbeing. Isolation of people of all ages is a significant risk during the COVID pandemic, particularly during periods of tight restrictions on movement and social interaction. The Community Call programme was introduced in mid-2020 to provide local helplines through Local Authorities for practical supports, information sharing and befriending. As part of the “Keep Well” campaign, this programme will be significantly expanded to be proactive in outreach to potentially isolated persons. Working with partner organisations, including An Garda Síochána, NGOs and Volunteer Ireland, there will be a particular emphasis on identifying and supporting those most at risk of isolation.
Under the Minding your Mood theme, people will be equipped with information on where to go if they need support. This will also be linked with the local community helpline to ensure that people can access the help they need. The HSE recently launched a series of “Minding Your Wellbeing” online videos, which provides an opportunity for people to learn more about key elements of mental wellbeing such as mindfulness, gratitude, self-care and resilience. Additionally, the Children and Young Peoples’ Services Committees are rolling out supports for children, young people and families.
There are also free, 24/7 services available through the Samaritans and Crisis Text Line Ireland. Details of these services and more are listed on the HSE website, www.yourmentalhealth.ie, and information on available services is also provided through the free mental health telephone information line, 1800 111888. ALONE, in collaboration with the Department of Health and HSE, is also running a national support line which is open Monday to Friday, 8am-8pm at 0818 222 024.
The clear message is that, whatever people are going through in terms of reduced social contacts, loneliness or isolation, we should all stay as connected and as healthy as possible, helping to strengthen community and individual resilience, restoring hope that we can and will recover, and make it through this, together.
The current restrictions in place are no doubt be challenging for all of us, but particularly those living alone. With this in mind, measures include a 'social bubble' to support those who risk isolation.
People in certain categories can form a support bubble with one other household. Those who can form a support bubble include: those alone with children under the age of 18, those living alone, those sharing parenting or custody arrangements, those living with an adult to whom they provide care, and those who live alone and have a carer or carers who supports them.
A change in the way we live our lives on such a scale as this has demanded a whole of government response. Additional interventions include funding for the senior alert scheme delivered by Pobal, which enables older people to live securely in their homes through the provision of personal monitored alarms. The Department of Community and Rural Development and the Islands as part of its Covid-19 action plan has increased supports to older people through a befriending phone call initiative which will support participants in the senior alert scheme, which is operated in conjunction with Pobal and Alone.