Spotlight On...Community Warden Service

Our Community Warden Service is a lifeline to many older people, and for some it is a welcomed part of their support resources. The service offers person centred support to help someone live at home. The warden can help with small practical tasks, which vary from person to person. This can include, filling bird feeders, watering plants, short accompanied local walks, collecting prescriptions, booking appointments, reading meters, small amounts of shopping, reading and sorting mail, posting cards/getting stamps and much more. You just need to discuss your needs with the warden. If the warden is unable to provide the support requested, they will help source it from elsewhere.

It's not just about practical support. Our wardens provide people with reassuring contact. Knowing, from Monday to Friday, a daily check in on wellbeing will be made is very comforting and reduces anxiety, isolation and loneliness. The check-in is an opportunity to chat and share both worries and laughs, or comment on last night’s TV viewing, family or friends’ updates, hobbies and interests. For some this contact is part of a wide support network from social care and family/friend carers, for others it’s the only link to the ‘outside world’.

We’ve been told by family and friends that the Community Warden support has been a relief to them as well. Unpaid carers are usually juggling other responsibilities in their life too. A warden’s support can give reassurance and time back to them. Knowing someone else is checking in on a loved one, is available to run errands and keep a watchful eye, reduces carer’s stress.

Richards Story:

One of the many people we support is Richard, who has regular contact with one of our Community Wardens. We chat to Richard approx. twice a week on the phone and visit him a couple of times a week.  On our visits we help him to go through his post, his email inbox and help compose and send emails, supporting his reduced reading ability, and literature skills. Richard is hoping for a House Swap, so we go through this every week and explore any new properties that have become available, or if someone has contacted him with interest in his property. Richard was happy to talk to us about the impact of loneliness on him and what he does to combat this.

“Loneliness doesn’t affect me all the time, but now and again I do feel depressed as I have no one to talk to. I don’t have someone living with me, like a wife or friend, and so I don’t have that someone I can just to talk to about anything. You have to find something you like to do, which I find helps. I enjoy painting, woodwork and playing the guitar. I am part of a group so I can meet and talk to people, I go to chess club and a friendship group. There, I can talk to people who enjoy doing the same things as me. Going out helps, but you do still get lonely.

The help I get from Age UK Cambridgeshire and Peterborough is very reassuring. I know I can get help on anything I am unsure of, like my new mobile phone, emails and letters. It really relieves my worry. My warden also helped me to work my coffee machine, so I can enjoy a lovely cup of coffee. I like to show my warden my plants and talk to her about them. It’s nice to have her visit and I look forward to it and our chats. I have someone to tell about what I’ve been doing and someone who I can trust.” Richard.