Send a card to a Preston care home to help tackle loneliness during the pandemic

Old person's hands — Loneliness is particularly prominent during the coronavirus pandemic

A campaign is underway to tackle loneliness among care home residents during the coronavirus outbreak.

The campaign, the latest version of the popular Cards for Kindness initiative, is asking people to send a card, picture or poem to one of their local care homes.

Care home residents can often feel isolated, but in the current climate – with visiting restricted and trips out suspended – loneliness is more prominent than ever.

Now in its third year, Cards for Kindness is a joint initiative between Lancashire and South Cumbria Integrated Care System, Lancashire County Council and Blackpool Council.

The theme of this latest campaign is ‘hope, from our home to yours’.

Talib Yaseen, Executive Director of Transformation for Lancashire and South Cumbria Integrated Care System, said: “With the ongoing measures to tackle the Covid-19 pandemic, we had to do something a little bit different for this summer’s campaign. Now more than ever, we want to let people living in care homes know that the community is still thinking of them.

“It is always lovely to receive something in the post, and ten minutes of your time could really make a difference to local care home residents. Write a poem, draw a picture – or simply write in a greetings card. A selection of cards is even available to download and print from the Cards for Kindness web page.”

County Councillor Shaun Turner Lancashire County Council’s cabinet member for health and wellbeing, said: “We know that chronic social isolation can reduce life expectancy by an equivalent amount to smoking, and can greatly increase the risk of Alzheimer’s. Feedback from previous years showed that care home residents who received cards were prompted to start conversations and share their own memories, so every card will be greatly appreciated.

“We want to remind our residents that there’s always somebody thinking of them.”

To send a card all you need to do is write one, attach a stamp and pick a local care home to send it to. You can find your local care home in the list below:

Abraham House, 515 Blackpool Road, Ashton-on-Ribble, Preston, PR2 1EQ
Banksfield Nursing Home, Banksfield Avenue, Fulwood, Preston, PR2 3RN
Bridgeway Residential Care Home, Gamull Lane Preston, PR2 6TQ
Broadfield House, Broadfield Drive, Leyland, PR25 1NB
Brooklands Residential Home, 6 Blackbull Lane, Fulwood, Preston, PR2 3PU
Cuerden Grange Rest Home, 414 Station Road, Bamber Bridge, PR5 6JN
Finney House, Flintoff Way, Preston, PR1 6AB
Lady Elsie Finney House, Cottam Ave, Ingol, Preston, PR2 3XH
L’Arche, L’Arche Preston Community, 3 Moor Park Ave, Preston, PR1 6AS
L’Arche, 4 English Martyrs Place, Preston, PR1 6DN
Longton Nursing Home, 11 Marsh Lane, Longton, PR4 5ZJ
Lostock Lodge Care Home for the Elderly, 34 Wateringpool Lane, Lostock Hall, PR5 5AP
Meadowfield House, Meadowfield, Fulwood, Preston, PR2 9NX
Moor Park House, 81 – 83 Garstang Road, Preston, PR1 1LD
Oakfield Nursing Home, Lancaster Road, Forton, Preston, PR3 0BL
Oxford House, 258 Garstang Road, Fulwood, Preston, PR2 9QB
Penwortham Grange and Lodge, Martin Field Road, Penwortham, PR1 9HL
The Brambles, Park Avenue, New Longton, PR4 4AY
Walton House, 188 Chorley Road, Walton-Le-Dale, PR5 4PD
Willowbrooke Residential Care Home, 1-3 Todd Lane South, Lostock Hall, PR5 5XD

To find out more, visit healthierlsc.co.uk/CardsForKindness.

Will you be sending a card? Let us know in the comments.