Did you know that almost four million people over the age of 65 in the UK live alone? And that those older people are more likely to suffer from mental health conditions compared to those who live with others?
The statistics from Age UK make uncomfortable reading, and when you’re busy juggling family life with work and everything else life has thrown at us in the past year it can be easy to forget about vulnerable neighbours and relatives living on their own.

We live in a block of flats where many of our neighbours are elderly and many live alone, making lockdown and living with coronavirus restrictions especially hard and lonely.
As a family we’re doing our best to help out, from opening stubborn jam jars and loaning tools to offering to pick up shopping, but I’d like to do more.
So, what else can we all do to help elderly neighbours, not just while we’re living in lockdown, but afterwards too? We’ve teamed up with Age UK Mobility to share 5 simple and practical ways to help elderly neighbours during lockdown and beyond.
5 practical ways to help elderly neighbours during lockdown & beyond
1. Offer to lend a hand
Check your neighbours have everything they need and offer to pick up food shopping and medicines if they’re unable or too worried to visit the shops. You can leave things on doorsteps and in porches and you could even offer to disinfect the items first for added peace of mind. Just remember not to cross the threshold and stay two metres apart at all times until social distancing restrictions are lifted.

2. Make sure they can get about safely
The older we are, the easier it tends to be to slip and fall and have accidents about the house. Age Co Mobility specialises in mobility products from bathroom accessories including grab rails and shower seats to stairlifts and walk-in baths and showers. They’re operating throughout lockdown and buying products from Age UK Mobility also helps support Age UK’s charitable work.

3. Keep in touch
Coronavirus restrictions coupled with the dark nights of winter and bad weather can make it harder for older people to get out and can leave them feeling lonely and isolated. If you don’t already have it ask or find out your neighbour’s phone number, check if they need anything and let them know that if they do, you can help out. You could even organise a rota with other neighbours to ensure someone is regularly calling on them to see if they are ok.

4. Encourage them to share their feelings
If an elderly person has been feeling low or out of sorts for several weeks, Age UK advises that it’s really important they share these feelings with someone – you their neighbour, a friend, a family member or their GP.

5. Make them smile
We might not be able to go into each other’s homes and share a cup of tea at the moment but it’s amazing what can be achieved through a window or from a front doorstep. Our older three have painted pebbles from the beach with happy words and pictures to put outside our block of flats to make people smile, and they love waving at neighbours and friends through living room windows too.
Do you have elderly neighbours you’ve been looking out for during lockdown? Has lockdown helped bring you and your neighbours closer together? I’d love to hear about your experience!
This post was written in collaboration with Age UK Mobility.
Great tips that everyone should follow #mischiefandmemories@_karendennis
Thank you!
Great ideas. Things would be so much easier if more people would take simple steps to help each other out a bit #mischiefandmemories
Hopefully that will be one good thing to come out of lockdown – we all look after each other a bit more…
here’s hoping. Back from #KCACOLS
Aww lovely post. My elderly neighbour passed away recently – so sad. I tried to do lots of these before though – hopefully she knew that we cared and looked out for her xx #mischiefandmemories
That is sad – I’m sure she did x
Popping over from #KCACOLS 🙂
Love this post, we can all do more to help xx #MischiefAndMemories
This is such a lovely post, and the ideas are simple enough for pretty much anyone to do. Kindness is so important, especially during these times when a smile and a wave can mean everything to something. Thank you for sharing over on #mischiefandmemories xx
I will be forever grateful to my nan’s neighbours for rallying round to care for her after my grandad died. I hope that I can do the same when others need help. There has been a great community spirit during lockdown and I hope it continues. Thanks for linking up with #MischiefAndMemories
These are great ideas. It’s good to check on those who live on their own as well. Cheers #KCACOLS
What a lovely post!! Yes, we can all lift the spirits of others (and in turn lift our own!)
Great tips for showing anyone you care, not just the elderly. I think a lot of people are struggling and just the simplest act of kindness could be life saving.
Katrina x
#KCACOLS
Oh this is such a wonderful post and knowing that an act of kindness can be an amazing part of someone day. Thank you so much for joining us for #kcacols and we hope to see you next time.
I think one positive thing that’s come from this last year is that we’ve got to know our neighbours better, it’s really nice knowing that everyone is looking out for each other, especially our more elderly neighbours. x #KCACOLS
Love this post, we can all do more to help xx #KCACOLS