Shes 91 this year. Proper old school. Lives on a diet of Rothermans and Brandy. Hard as nails. She survived getting bombed every night as a kid. Out lived half of her kids. She hasn’t left her house now for around two months since she got the ‘at risk’ letter from her local authority. She outside of phone calls has had no contact with the outside world. Her shopping is left on the doorstep and a ring of the bell. Her life at the moment is watching telly and a bit of gardening. She is fed up. Her words last night were very poignant. “It’s okay keeping me alive but I am not living, there is nothing at the moment to live for. I am existing”
It's something I have been pondering Deetee. For many people in their 80s and beyond this is their last year alive and they are going to spend much of it cooped up, alone. I wondered whether or not family or people who have had and recovered from the virus could visit and help, maybe take them for a drive somewhere.
Remind her that by stopping in, she’s not only protecting herself (which may not motivate her) but she’s also protecting the 59,000 people each person is projected to infect. There’ll have been many times she felt she was only existing when bombs were raining down and when she lost her children but things get better in time. It’s a horrible time for people who are alone but it is temporary and everyone can feel pride in putting others’ safety ahead of their own desires. Is it possible for anyone in her family to fully self isolate for 14 days and then move in with her?
^^^^ This, she's stopping in to help protect others, I've told my dad the same, he might not be bothered about getting it, but I certainly don't want to. And to be a pedant, no matter where she lived during the war, she didn't get bombed every night.
Tell her to go to a Tesco at Stairfoot. I have just been and it is packed solid with dazed and confused old folk wandering around totally oblivious to social distancing seemingly unaware of any ‘daft bloody virus thing’. It’ll give her a reminder of what normal life was like, way back in the day...in February 2020.
I don’t know, no-one does. Does it need to be until a vaccine though? Nowhere has a vaccine as one hasn’t been invented but some countries have got their numbers low enough to be able to test and trace so with a proper lockdown we should be able to do the same. To be honest though, if I had to sit inside to not infect 59,000 people, I’d do it, whether bored or not. I do know everyone is different though and has different challenges (mentally and practically in terms of money, their housing situation etc.) The government has massively messed this up with the late half assed lockdown that was not effective enough to properly stop the spread and will now need to go on even longer because of that.
Please be a bit more condescending next time... Especially since you missed the key message in my post.
OK. She's existing, boo hoo. If she's as hard as nails as you say she is then she'll just get on with it, won't she? It's been 40 days since Boris asked people to shield. 40 days out of 91 years. I'm presuming here but I guess she's got heating, and electric, and plumbing, and food and water? Probably a tv, maybe some books? You said she's got a phone and can talk to her family. It's crap, I get it, but you can either sit there and say 'I'm existing not living' or you can be like 100 year old Colonel Tom Moore who decided to not just sit there wallowing and raised nearly £33 million for the NHS.
I wouldn't bother trying to reason with the OP. He would rather everyone went to the boozer or the local garden centre sneezing on people. No one tells him what to do.
To be fair to old uns, when I've been out for a walk they will cross to the other side of the street to keep the distance. If I've seen anyone congregating in groups it's always been the younger end usually with alcohol not far away. In other words there are good and bad in every age group
Everyone is different my nan is on here own and is really struggling she isnt that strong mentally. Her neighbour's have been kind enough to help with shopping etc. As for doing 100 laps to raise money for charity her garden isnt big enough to swing a cat.
She used to not sure if she is able to do it anymore here eyes are quite bad tbh. She has regular treatment for them.
