New West Swindon organisation offers friendship to isolated and lonely elderly people

Helping Old Friends provides friendship and good company to those who may be feeling isolated and have not had much chance to socialise.

Living alone can have a detrimental effect on someone's mental and physical health - so the project's founder Katrina Simms set out to counter that.

She used the experience gained during more than 25 years of working in elderly care to create the organisation.

Katrina said: "We realised there was a need for a service providing, more than anything, companionship to people who, for whatever reason, find themselves living alone and isolated.

“Sometimes older people need to have a person just to talk to or do the crossword with.

"Perhaps someone to replace that lightbulb, to help navigate around the internet, to mow the lawn or put the shopping away, or take them to the hairdressers – those little jobs they might struggle with.”

Helping Old Friends gives peace of mind to families who may not be able to visit as often as they would like.

As well as providing home visits, the company can install equipment with different levels of monitoring.

Katrina added: “The equipment is Internet of Things-enabled and reports to a dashboard, flagging up any out-of-the-ordinary events, so we can step in quickly to help.

“We’re looking for caring and compassionate people with a wealth of life experiences and skills to join us, who can relate to the ageing process.

"No experience necessary but lots of heart required.”

Based in West Swindon and covering the whole of the surrounding Swindon area, Helping Old Friends offers personal support and practical help to older people living alone.

For more information about Helping Old Friends – whether you are an elderly person or a family member looking for help, or are interested in joining the team and becoming a companion – call 01793 550895, email katrina@helpingoldfriends.co.uk or visit the website http://helpingoldfriends.co.uk/.