Alone’s yearly analysis revealed that loneliness drove the majority of calls to their national helpline last year. The study, publicised on Tuesday, indicated that loneliness was at the heart of the 26,413 calls they received.
Approximately one third of those struggling with loneliness reported to Alone that they lacked someone to visit them. Simultaneously, nearly 9% admitted to having no social outings for over a year. As per the report, there was a significant 122% increase in emotional and mental health interventions compared to the prior year.
The report also highlighted the influence of energy costs on the elderly, with 38% contacting the helpline regarding “utility issues”. The charity often helped with energy credit issues too. According to the report, Alone had a notable 198% rise in offering legal or monetary interventions in 2023, with 30% of the elderly signalling problems in these fields.
In 2023, the charity assisted over 38,482 elderly across Ireland, and since 2022, it has boosted its volunteer force by 45%. Last year, its 7,188 heroes provided 218,497 hours of voluntary aid to the elderly, cumulatively paying 91,188 visits, rendering “support, practical help, and social prescribing”.
Alone’s CEO, Sean Moynihan, expressed his pride in achieving 86% of the requested aids in 2023. He stated, “Alone’s aids cover a wide spectrum of needs, and in many respects, we are a comprehensive hub for ageing at home. Our aids run the gamut from assisting seniors in customising their bathrooms to tackling social isolation and everything in-between.” He further stated that technology services are part of their offering, guiding seniors in choosing and learning to use “the right device”.
During the year of 2023, Alone, a charitable organisation, offered and set up 2,554 assistive tech tools for elderly individuals across Ireland. An instance of someone benefitting from this service includes a man called George, who doesn’t have any family located nearby. George received an internet free trial and a tablet courtesy of Alone. Now, George routinely uses video calls to communicate with family and partakes in WhatsApp group chats. He is also attending a beginners tech course in the local area. Technology has altered George’s outlook on life for the better, reported the document.
Another case is that of Bernie, a woman from Inishowen, Co Donegal who was admitted to the hospital after a fall in 2023. Bernie was already affiliated with a support coordinator prior to her fall due to her dementia. Bernie’s family worked together with the support coordinator to set up a door sensor, a ring doorbell camera, as well as having two indoor cameras installed that have motion detection and two-way communication. Bernie also wears a watch that detects falls, which is tracked by a round-the-clock service. As a result of these measures, Bernie is now living contentedly at home, the report mentioned.
Notably, Alone saw a decrease of 25 per cent in corporate donations in the year 2023 in contrast to the previous year, but it saw an increase in its non-cash donations by 27 per cent and its income acquired from the HSE increased by 29 per cent.