2012-01-19 - ONE NEWS - EXTRA SUPPORT FOR QUAKE AFFECTED ELDERLY

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• published: 19 Jan 2012
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The Red Cross is boosting its efforts to find quake-affected people in Christchurch who need support. Some elderly people are going up to six months without a single visitor, despite the best efforts of the Red Cross volunteers who visit hundreds of homes across the city. These visits are important for people like Violet Ward, who may need food parcels, doctor appointments arranged or just some simple human contact. Ward told ONE News that without visitors she can sometimes get depressed. "People going past the gate would think I'm mad, I talk to the plants, talk to the home," she said. Stephen Guyatt of the Red Cross told ONE News that elderly people can maintain a stoic spirit, which is a concern as they often do not feel they should ask for help. "I saw one guy, for six months he had not seen anyone," said Guyatt. "He was almost in tears, very lonely and says all he wants to do is die. People like that, we need to get out and find them." Red Cross has been developing its Christchurch Earthquake Aid and Recovery Programme as it goes along It says there are many more months of aid work ahead and is about to recruit more volunteers to door-knock city homes and find those in need. The Red Cross Earthquake appeal raised $111 million, and so far $76 million has been given out with the majority in hardship grants. Grants are still open for independent advice, moving costs and water filters. As more needs arise the organisation said it will create more grants to meet them. SOURCE: http://tvnz.co.nz/national-news/extra-support-quake-affected-elderly-4693741