Have Disabled People Been Overlooked During Lockdown?
Have you felt like you’ve been left out during the Coronavirus pandemic and subsequent lockdown? The impact of the Coronavirus Act 2020 – legislation brought in at the beginning of the lockdown – has taken away significant parts of local authorities’ duties of care for disabled people.
In many cases councils no longer have an obligation to provide certain services to people with disabilities as laid out in the Care Act 2014.
We’re sure that more than a few people have felt that the last few months have been a difficult time. If you feel you’d like some extra support, why not have a look on social media such as Facebook or Twitter, for a local community hub such as this one set up by East Sussex Council. These community hubs provide a friendly contact point for anyone who needs a bit of help and support in coping with the effects of coronavirus, for people who are worried, alone or can’t get food or other essentials and don’t have someone to turn to.
What can you do to make things easier?
If you feel you may be at more risk when using mobility equipment with the effects of contamination and have become worried about going out shopping, perhaps consider making up a handy pack to take out with you. A simple pack containing facemasks, some hand sanitiser, disinfectant wipes or other PPE equipment can help to protect yourself
Alternatively, supermarkets such as Sainsbury’s have launched a Volunteer Shopping Card, which allows you to nominate someone to do your shopping for you. Many of the larger supermarkets are still prioritising delivery slots for vulnerable, elderly and less able people, so it’s worth checking to see if there’s one near you doing the same.
You may have experienced support cuts or changes to provisions that had been previously made for you. If this is the case and you’re aware that you aren’t getting the day to day help you need, and you’ve not been advised to self-isolate or shield, speak to someone you trust and see if they’re able to help you out with day-to-day tasks.
If you find you’re starting to get lonely, try ringing a friend or neighbour for a chat. You could take a look at our blog from the beginning of the year about technology and the ways in which it can help elderly or less-able people around the home.
As well as our physical health, of course, we should also take care to look after our mental health. Loneliness and worry are just as much a part of our mental health as stress, anxiety and depression and it’s not uncommon to be feeling concerned about one or all of these. The NHS have provided a list of mental health charities who can provide advice and support if you need it. You can find that here.
We hope that the information on this page might be of use to you or someone you know. Please continue to stay safe and look after each other.
