The Community Call

As part of the government response to the COVID-19 crisis, your local authority (council) has established a COVID-19 Community Call Forum. Your local forum works with State agencies and community and voluntary groups to provide supports or services to any vulnerable person who needs them.

Your forum brings together different organisations to provide important services like:

• collection and delivery of essential items like food, ‘meals-on-wheels’, household items, fuel or medicine (in line with guidance)
• support if you are experiencing social isolation or are medically vulnerable

If you need help, if you know someone who needs help, or if you would like to offer help, please use the numbers or email for your local authority (council).

Those aged over 70 years and over and others at increased risk of severe illness should exercise judgement regarding the extent to which they engage with others and in activities outside home.

See guidance for people at increased risk of severe illness.

Guidance for other people at increased risk of severe illness

• Disability services guidance
• Older persons/long-term residential care facilities
• Others at increased risk of severe illness
• Wearing a face covering,

It’s important for residents in a nursing home or residential care facility to have regular visits from the people who are most important to them.

General guidance is available, but each facility will advise of any restrictions in their individual home.

The Department of Health provides information on mask wearing and other preventative measures.

Making contact

• contact the person to confirm your visit
• phone the person when you arrive outside their home
• complete hand hygiene before leaving your vehicle
• ring doorbell or knock loudly and step back 2 metres
• inform the person who you are, the reason for the visit and show your ID

Once you arrive

• ask the person to move to another room
• place items inside the front door
• if essential to enter the home follow the guidelines about handwashing and physical distance

As you leave

• confirm time and date of next visit
• reassure the person that contact and deliveries will be maintained while they remain at home
• complete hand hygiene prior to returning to vehicle
• telephone or email confirmation of visit and wellbeing of person

If the person is unwell

• if the person reports feeling unwell ask if the person has contacted their GP
• if the person has not contacted the GP, obtain the name and number of the GP and do so on their behalf
• if the GP can’t be contacted, phone the emergency services

If the person is frail and needs help with delivery

• identify location of kitchen and bring in goods/fuel
• unload goods ensuring they are accessible for the person
• leave the residence and step back 2 metres
• reassure the person that contact and deliveries will be maintained while they remain at home

If there is no response

• if there is no reply, ring the contact telephone number
• if there is no answer, contact the Local Authority Helpline for any additional contact numbers
• after numerous attempts to contact the person without success, phone the emergency services for further assistance
• remain at the residence until the emergency services attend
• contact the Local Authority with outcome and update on the person

DO

• do remember that help and advice is only a phone-call away
• do make yourself aware of contact numbers for vital services and keep these numbers handy
• do keep in touch with neighbours
• do ask to see identification if a stranger calls to the door. If in doubt, call the organisation they claim to represent for verification
• do remember to practise physical distancing, keeping a space of 2 metres between you and other people
• do follow guidelines around hand washing, sneezing and coughing into your arm or a tissue

DON’T

• don’t answer the door to someone you don’t know unless you feel comfortable doing so
• don’t shake hands with anyone that might come to the door
• don’t let someone into your home unless you know them or it is absolutely necessary
• don’t give ANY personal details including your bank details or your credit/debit card to anyone you don’t trust – whether in person or over the phone
• don’t interact with other vulnerable members of your community if you have any symptoms of illness
• don’t be alarmed by false information on social media – rely to HSE advice

For daily updates visit:

• www.gov.ie/health-covid-19
• www.hse.ie