While Ozanam House is closed, we endeavour to support all members of the Men’s Group during this difficult time. The Men’s Group exists, in no small part, to combat social isolation. The restrictions in place mean that this is made much more difficult. Having said that, we are happy that the provisions we put in place at the beginning of this pandemic are enough to help sustain the men’s physical and mental health.

Some of the measures we have in place include:

• Calling the men at regular intervals throughout the week to make sure that they are availing of additional services in the community such as Meals on Wheels and the Garda Community Service. The men call also call the coordinator if they just want to have a chat anytime.
• Posting out some invaluable information to each member regarding best practice while isolating. Tips on healthy eating to keep the body’s nutritional levels up. Tips on exercise and mindfulness techniques to keep the body fit. Ideas for activities to keep the brain stimulated such as crosswords, jigsaws and other types of puzzles.
• We are continuing to plan for our summer programme even though it might be pushed back by several weeks. We are in constant contact with the men giving them updates and exchanging ideas for trips during the summer. I believe this will give the men something to look forward to when this finally blows over.

Going forward, we strive to minimise the effect that isolation has on our members. We are liaising with management and other senior coordinators on a weekly basis and exchanging ideas on how best to continue to support our members.