Keeping in touch with elderly during lockdown

Keeping in regular contact with any elderly and vulnerable friends, neighbours or family members, is incredibly important at the moment.

Elderly

Telephone

Thankfully we still have the good old-fashioned telephone call, so checking in on your elderly friends or relatives daily is easy. If your loved-one lives alone, they will enjoy hearing from you and look forward to your calls.

However, there are lots of other ways we can communicate with loved-ones and even see their smiling faces, providing your loved-one is somewhat tech savvy.

FaceTime/Skype

If your loved-one has a smartphone, then you can video call them with FaceTime or Skype. They may just need initial help, with social distancing, downloading the app and signing up for an account.

It’s always nice for anyone to see a friendly face and a video call is just that extra bit special compared to a telephone call.

Zoom/HouseParty

Zoom or the House Party app are ones that multiple members of the family can use at the same time. Again, your loved-one may need help downloading the app and signing up, but they can be talked through this or sent instructions.

You can then have a straightforward call between lots of different people on each, or on House Party you can take part in fun quizzes and games.

Send a postcard/note

We all love receiving post, however going to the post office and queuing to send a letter or card may be deemed unnecessary. There are a number of apps out there that allow you to create a postcard or note online with an uplifting image to be sent to your loved-one.

Royal Mail are still delivering and using an app to send correspondence aids the need for unnecessary travel to a post office or post box.

TouchNote is a mobile app for smartphones, tablets and website for sending printed, personalised postcards, greeting cards and other photo products.

You can also try the FreePrints Cards app to send a postcard to a loved-one with a friendly note, you just pay delivery. Sign up and get free delivery on your first card.

It’s not just the elderly and vulnerable that might enjoy these, everyone will appreciate a note and know that you’re thinking about them. Great if there are birthdays or anniversaries coming up.

You can read more of our handy advice for the elderly during the COVID-19 pandemic here.