As featured in the Bedford Independent
Home care staff at Brickhill’s Class Care are taking on the task of walking 280,000 steps during Mental Health Awareness Week to fundraise for their residents.
A Class Care provides 24-hour live-in care for elderly residents in their own homes, many of whom are experiencing loneliness after being estranged from their loved ones during the lockdown.
“During the COVID pandemic, we have recognised that a number of our clients have experienced extreme loneliness and families have felt an extreme level of guilt and anxiety with not being able to see or care for their loved ones,” explained Mercy Canning of A Class Care.
“We want to encourage safe interaction and we are therefore raising money to purchase iPads and Facebook pods for our clients that are unable to have contact with their family members.”
Mental Health Awareness Week is from 18 – 24 May and the A Class Care team will be working alongside Mind to help raise awareness of mental health issues among the elderly. Their aim is to raise £500 by eight members of the team completing the challenge throughout the week.
“Our Care team have vowed to complete 280,000 steps during mental health week to raise mental health awareness including anxiety, the implications on loneliness and depression with the elderly,” said Mercy.
“Research has shown that loneliness or being estranged from a person’s loved one can cause a number of physiological and emotional health issues; including Alzheimer’s, cognitive disease, anxiety and depression.
“If we can work together to raise awareness of this especially during this time and we can raise enough money to purchase iPads to keep people connected we will be doing our service to our community.”
You can donate to the fundraiser here.
