ALONE’s National Support Line: a gateway to their integrated system of services
Dublin, 10th March 2021 ALONE, the organisation which supports older people is reflecting on a year supporting an increasing number of older people in need amid ongoing COVID-19 restrictions. One year ago, ALONE’s National Support line became the gateway to their multi-disciplinary supportive services and allowed them to reach a growing cohort of older people in need of support. Their National Support Line quickly became the leading national number for ‘Community Call’, an initiative that links local and national Government with the community and voluntary sectors to provide support to older people and those who are at risk at this time.
As a member organisation of the National Public Health Emergency COVID-19 Subgroup for Vulnerable People, ALONE has worked in collaboration with the Department of Health and the HSE to provide a coordinated national response to support older people who have concerns, may be at risk or who have contracted COVID-19. ALONE’s Strategic Plan outlines the projections of an ageing population and the supports needed in order to cater for a growing age group. Having established clear goals from the outset pre-pandemic, this was key to how ALONE were able to mobilising a rapid response in every county to make sure nobody got left behind.
Today marks one year since the implications and destructive nature of COVID-19 came into play for ALONE. Since March 9th 2020 and around 365 days later, ALONE’s National Support Line has received in excess of 43,429 calls for support. ALONE coordinated the National Support Line to be in operation from 8am – 8pm, seven days a week, ultimately increasing their capabilities as an organisation, to provide support on greater scale. Subsequent to this, ALONE staff and volunteers have placed more than 110,141 calls to older people who have been linked in with their services. The organisation has increased its weekly volume of older people seeking ongoing support as they now assist up to 2,426 older people weekly with challenges spanning across loneliness, health, finance, housing, accessing services, COVID-19 and other issues.
While 75% of callers to ALONE live ALONE, 31% of these callers between 75-90 years of age. ALONE staff have put 9,228support plans in place for those who have called with an issue so that we develop a solution to the problem. ALONE’s support plans can provide a point of contact for access to health, social care, housing, transport and other arising needs using technology and other services and activities to improve physical, emotional and mental wellbeing. Their Support Coordination services have been transformed through collaborative relationships with the Local Authorities, the Gardaí, the GAA, partners in the Statutory, Community and Voluntary Sectors. ALONE have continuously evolved their relationships with partner organisations stating, without them, they would not have been able to achieve what they have.
The organisation has seen a huge increase to the number of volunteers since the onset of the pandemic, with the total figure currently over 2,645. ALONE has trained 589volunteers to work with older people over the past year, with the first ever online volunteer training taking place on April 10th, 2020. ALONE has also implemented technology to help older people through the pandemic, installing various devices for older people across the country in order to keep them connected and help them through the pandemic. ALONE supplied and installed 356 Assistive Technology devices in 2020 and worked on a partner collaboration resulting in the delivery of 1,068 phones to older people across the Country.
Seán Moynihan, CEO of ALONE said, “ALONE volunteers and staff have been working alongside older people for over forty years now. We grow in strength each and every year with the important relationships we build and services that we develop. For over a year now, our lives have been put on hold as a result of COVID-19, with older people among the worst affected by the impact of the pandemic on their lives. The support we have received from our partner organisations, ambassadors, community groups and individuals since the arrival of COVID-19 in Ireland has been nothing short of extraordinary.”
He continued, “Our National Support Line has been a lifeline for older people across the country during dark times over the past year and we will continue this work until the threat of the pandemic has passed and beyond. Our National Support Line will continue to be the gateway to accessing our services and we endeavour to keep providing and expanding these services to accommodate for those who require them. We have accomplished so much over the last year but we are still working with older people who are struggling every day to provide assistance, support and reassurance. We must continue to protect our ageing population following the sacrifices that they have made in the past year and provide the necessary supports for older people both now and when things begin to return to normality.”
Contact ALONE if you have concerns about your own wellbeing, or the wellbeing of an older person you know. Their National Support Line is available seven days a week from 8am – 8pm on 0818 222 024. Further information can be found on www.alone.ie.
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Service Manager
Kevin White
089 409 0549
Balbriggan, Skerries & Lusk
Vacant
0818 222 024
St. Margaret”s, Finglas & Glasnevin
Maura O’Shea
0818 222 024
Telephone Support Coordinator
Michael Kennedy
086 440 2894
Telephone Support Coordinator
Jacob Shakespeare
Telephone Support Coordinator
Anne Marie mc Allister
086 440 7825
Telephone Support Officer
Vacant
0818 222 024
Telephone Support Officer
Sharon McManus
0818 222 024
Telephone Support Officer
Vacant
0818 222 024
Service Manager
Greg O’Reilly
083 385 1221
North Meath & Ardee
Paula Boyce
0818 222 024
East Meath
John Stillman
0818 222 024
Location tbc
Vacant
0818 222 024
Telephone Support Coordinator
Anne Murphy
086 035 3904
Volunteer Support Officer
Frances Sheerin
086 108 5965
National Support Line Coordinators
National Support Line Coordinators
National Support Line Coordinators
National Support Line Coordinators
Aoife Callaghan
Sarah kerr
Aoife Callaghan
Bridgeen Coyle
086 032 6801
087 179 3782
086 032 6801
086 014 6732
Service Manager
Natalie Johnson
083 062 5854
South Dublin Inner City
Vacant
0818 222 024
Rathfarnham, Knocklyon & Ballyboden
Vacant
0818 222 024
Newcastle, Citywest & Saggart
Joe Sullivan
0818 222 024
Northwest Kildare
Annemarie Molloy
Patricia Scanlon
086 013 7256
Service Manager
Shelby Unger
083 060 2419
Volunteer Support Officer
Grainne Kennedy
086 108 2524
Volunteer Support Officer
Vacant
0818 222 024
Service Manager
Lola Fitzgibbon
086 084 1360
Southwest Wexford
Natalia Gembicka
086 014 4915
Service Manager
Siobhan Walsh
086 084 1674
Northeast Cork
Vacant
0818 222 024
Central Cork
Veronica Reidy
Clare Seymour
086 075 3867
086 107 9433
Telephone Support Coordinator
Geraldine Commins
086 013 1570
Volunteer Support Officer
Mairead Egan
087 253 1380
Volunteer Support Officer
Maria O’Connor
Volunteer Support Officer
Tracey Kearney
086 440 9893
Service Manager
Martina Kinane
087 407 4085
Caroline Bradley
West Limerick
Margaret Collum
Volunteer Support Officers
Aoife Dennehy
086 211 5307
Volunteer Support Officers
Vacant
0818 222 024
Service Manager
Ciaran Gilligan
083 878 6080
Service Manager
Frances Browne
087 751 6087
Inishowen (CHN Learning Site)
Bronagh Doyle
086 171 6984
Inishowen (CHN Learning Site)
Gráinne Hargan
West Donegal
Emma Kennedy
086 720 8686
Donegal inishowen
Vacant
0818 222 024
Telephone Support Coordinator
Deirdre Browne
074 932 1598
Telephone Support Coordinator
Catherine Reilly
National Support & Referral Line Coordinator
Kathleen Bonner