Tell us your story - Age Cymru seeks older people's views of the Covid 19 lockdown

What support will older people need to re-engage with their communities post lockdown

Age Cymru is working in partnership with Cymru Older People’s Alliance (COPA), the Welsh Senate of Older People, Active Wales, National Pensioners Convention Wales, and Pensioners Forum Wales to gather views and experiences of the Covid 19 lockdown from those aged 50 plus whether you were shielding, self-isolating, living alone or with family members to help inform future policy and planning. The partners also want to know what is needed to help older people re-engage with community life as the lockdown is lifted.

In particular they would like to hear how older people accessed information during this period. Did you rely upon TV, radio, internet or family and carers for information? What sort of support did you get from local authorities, voluntary groups and informal sources such as family members, friends and neighbours?  And, if needed, were you able to access health and social care services during lockdown?

Age Cymru and partners are particularly keen to hear from older people about the support and information they need to help older people re-engage with their communities. Do older people feel confident enough to go shopping again, use public transport or visit the dentist and if they don’t what would help?

Age Cymru’s chief executve Victoria Lloyd says: “The onset of Covid 19 was swift and severe, affecting the whole of society but, with the risk of the disease increasing with age, there were particular implications for older people as they were advised to be especially stringent in terms of social distancing and many older people received shielding letters.

“But now older people have to face the equally difficult challenge of moving into the so called recovery stage. To help make this transition as trouble free as possible, we need to better understand both the concerns and the hopes of older people, and what barriers may be preventing them from entering recovery in its fullest sense. So I am urging older people to get in touch with us with your views so we can work with the Welsh Government and other stakeholders to help make the coming months a time where we can all feel confident about interacting with every day services.”

COPA chair Steve Milsom says: “We need to be fully informed of older people’s views to help us work effectively with the Welsh government and help build confidence amongst our older population. We want older people to feel safe if they need to access health and social services.  We also want them to live a fulfilled later life and return to meeting friends and relatives in social environments.”

To take part in our research, funded by Welsh Government, simply write to us with your experiences and views of the lockdown via the following freepost address: Age Cymru, FREEPOST RTZG-JHGC-RYJJ, Ground Floor, Mariners House, Age Cymru, Trident Court, East Moors Road, CARDIFF CF24 5TD

Or, you can complete our survey online by visiting: www.agecymru.org.uk

The deadline for all correspondence is 1 September 2020.