Red Cross receives grant to help elderly with mobility issues

The Harrogate and Rural District Care Commissioning Group (CCG) has offered a £40,000 grant to tackle the loneliness and isolation elderly residents feel when they suffer from limited mobility. The money was awarded to the British Red Cross, who have now started community connect schemes to tackle such issues and limit the isolation felt by mobility reduced residents in the area. The main aim of the schemes has been to help elderly residents live independently and this has been seen to be a real success so far, according to the Red Cross service manager.

The money was spread across volunteer projects and the British Red Cross last September to address this particular social issue and so far, the Red Cross has seen significantly positive results. The schemes are working to help users of stairlift solutions and others in the area with mobility difficulties to stay more independent in a move to reduce the number of elderly residents suffering from loneliness and also reduce the number of hospital visits.

The results

The British Red Cross is aiming, with the help of the grant, to provide a service that sees vulnerable elderly residents feel assured and able to carry on living in their own home. They have been successfully achieving this through the implementation of such schemes that connect residents with social groups; through doing so it has been made clear that those who use such services have better survival rates than those who don’t and need to visit their GP less, according to the British Red Cross business development manager in this article.

The British Red Cross service manager followed on from this, saying that, “Our aim is to help people access support in their own communities which helps them live independently and this has been a real success” as people now have access to the support they need within their community, rather than by visiting a GP.

Alongside such community services that are implemented across the county, Handicare’s range of elderly support products such as motorised rise and recliner chairs and bathroom aids can work towards helping people stay more independent in their own homes.

Image Credit: Pete (flickr.com)