On the 23rd March 2020 Boris Johnson addressed the British public ordering us to stay at home and practice social distancing. However, by this point many elderly people had already started self isolating due to them having a higher risk of death from coronavirus. With age UK reporting in 2016 that 1.2 million old people already suffer from loneliness it is no surprise that with these new measures in place, many elderly people are left more cut off then ever. I spoke to pensioners James and Gwendolen Taylor about how neighbours and technology are helping them get through this difficult time.

Using video calls has been helping Mrs Taylor who said, “I've been face timing with my best friend which has been keeping my spirits up, I would be very isolated without technology so technology has been a great help,” and talking about the kindness of their neighbours and the help that they have received from them Mrs Taylor said, “we’ve got good neighbours next door who’ve been making me good meals every day and leaving them on window bottom for me to collect,” and “the young lady that usually cleans for us is doing our shopping for us instead and getting our medication, we’d be really stuck without her help. We had a Tesco delivery slot but cant get another slot for weeks. We texted our neighbours next door to see if they needed anything delivering as well as they are also isolating, as they are at high risk because of asthma, so they texted us with they’re shopping order because they cant get a slot either. They’re helping me so that's a little bit of how I can help them back.”

In this intense time its important for the British public to pull together and help prevent the spread of coronavirus by social distancing and self isolating and, where possible, helping those who are vulnerable such as our elderly neighbours as little things, such as dropping shopping off for someone who is unable to leave the house, can make a massive difference and be extremely helpful to them, as it has been for Mr and Mrs Taylor.

by Jasmine Hadouka-Taylor