ALONE continues to support older people affected by Storm Éowyn across Bank Holiday weekend

ALONE urges older people affected – or those concerned for their wellbeing – to get in touch.

ALONE, the organisation which supported 42,000 older people throughout Ireland last year, is asking older people affected by Storm Éowyn to get in touch, issuing a reminder that its supports remain available throughout the bank holiday weekend.

In the aftermath of Storm Éowyn, ALONE teams have been supporting older people in affected areas with issues ranging from loss of power and heating to communications difficulties.

ALONE staff and Volunteers have been checking in with older people throughout the country, as well as liaising with local authorities and other support bodies to ensure older people are safe in their homes.

ALONE CEO Seán Moynihan says the effects of the storm on the older people ALONE supports have been significant, and not confined to one region.

“While some areas are more affected than others, we’ve encountered some seriously challenging situations for older people throughout the country”, Moynihan revealed.

“What we’ve seen throughout the country is communities pulling together to check on older neighbours, to reach those who are isolated, and to engage with organisations like ALONE, as well as local authorities, An Garda Síochána and other support and response bodies”.

“Our staff and volunteers have done Trojan work to reach people, check in, provide what’s needed and try to pull together those strands of support, and I’d like to pay tribute to all of them”.

Moynihan expressed ongoing concerns about those who may not previously have been linked in with services such as ALONE. “We’ve been reaching out to older people we work with and who need support, to provide needs assessment, practical assistance and liaison with other bodies who can help. But we’re still concerned about those older people who may not have been on the books of any organisation such as ourselves; there may be people who never needed help before, who now find themselves isolated or without power or phone coverage – we’re here to step into that gap if required, even for older people who don’t typically need our services or supports”.

Older people who need support can reach ALONE’s National Support and Referral Line on 0818 222 024, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. seven days a week (including over the Bank Holiday). Anyone concerned about an older person in their community can also call 0818 222 024. Urgent concerns for an older person’s welfare should be reported to the Gardaí in the first instance.

Further information is available on ALONE’s website, www.alone.ie

Moynihan concluded: “It’s been a challenging start to the year, with a severe cold snap followed by a dangerous storm. We’ve been at the heart of it, and we’ve seen the very best of the Irish sense of community and solidarity; we’re urging communities to keep that going as we deal with the aftermath of Storm Éowyn”.