Social enterprises are finding new ways to help Britain's ageing population during lockdown

By Sarah Shearman

LONDON, April 17 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - From painting to poetry, group art sessions are a highlight for many elderly residents in care homes across southwest Britain, bringing cheer and chat along with tea and cake.

But all that changed with the coronavirus - isolating residents in their greatest need and raising fears additional pressure on the care sector could push it towards collapse.

Lockdown measures introduced by Britain to contain COVID-19 have prevented Make It Better, the Cornwall-based organisation behind the sessions, from visiting the local homes it serves, so it has posted out activity packs instead.

"It's been quite traumatic for people engaged in the projects … so we started sending things out immediately to show them that at least we hadn't forgotten everyone and keep the contact going," said Ruth Purdy, founder of Make it Better.

More than 90 packs, with ideas and materials for activities like making sock puppets, have been sent to care homes and other vulnerable groups, such as the homeless.

"Working with isolated and vulnerable people, some with anxiety, there are real concerns about the long-term effects of this situation," Purdy told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.

"We are hoping to use the therapeutic qualities in arts activities to support them," she said by phone.

Make it Better is one of thousands of social enterprises – businesses that aim to do good – working in the social care sector, finding ways to help Britain's ageing society.

Government data shows almost one in five Britons is over 65.

Be it running buddy schemes or drop-in centres, many of these businesses aim to improve wellbeing by social interaction – something that lockdown restrictions has made much harder.

CARE CRISIS

Social care has been dubbed a forgotten front in the battle against COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, which experts fear has already ripped through Britain's care homes.

Older people and those with underlying health issues are more at risk of COVID-19 and reports are mounting of thousands of deaths and cases that were missed by official data.

Advocacy groups and care workers fighting the virus up close - often with low pay, training and recognition - are calling for more protective equipment to keep safe.

The government said on Wednesday it would increase testing for the disease in care homes, as pressure to protect vulnerable residents and workers intensifies.

Social distancing has already forced many social enterprises that support the elderly and frail to cease operating, said Roland Singer-Kingsmith, a manager at UnLtd, a British charity that supports social enterprises.

"This means that vulnerable people cannot access the support they need at the time when they need it the most," he said.

Atlas Respite and Therapy, a social enterprise in southern England that supports dementia sufferers and their families, has closed its "hub" day centre, which runs a host of activities.

Its staff still visit dementia sufferers at home but with extra caution, making sure they are symptom-free and have not had contact with anyone risky, all the while wearing protective equipment where necessary.

This new way of working has challenges.

Home visits bring less respite for families than trips out to a day centre while dementia sufferers might fear carers wearing masks, said Jonathan Hanbury, founder of Atlas.

Atlas has also launched digital therapy, offering stimulation for both memory and mental function via tablets.

It has created online support for families and carers, with tips and coping strategies for challenging dementia behaviour.

"We had three separate hubs that we were in the process of launching, so we had to change quickly and adapt. But rather than seeing this as a challenge, we really see this as an opportunity to learn," said Hanbury.

Atlas has partnered with CareCalls, a social enterprise that runs automated telephone prompting for older people living independently, reminding them to take medication or eat.

Together they plan to roll out a human calling service.

"In the next six months to a year, the real fight [against coronavirus] is going to be in the community, and the people going to be on the frontline are those organisations that aren't used to being on the frontline," said Hanbury.

"And that is going to be a steep learning curve," he said.

While social enterprises are radically adapting to operate in a crisis, staying afloat will be harder the longer it lasts.

"The real threat is what happens at the end of lockdown," said Singer-Kingsmith. "If the government withdraws (financial) support at the end of May, but customers do not return in the same numbers, then social enterprises will struggle to survive."

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(Reporting by Sarah Shearman @Shearmans. Editing by Lyndsay Griffiths. Please credit the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of Thomson Reuters, that covers the lives of people around the world who struggle to live freely or fairly. Visit http://news.trust.org)

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