It is is the news, it will be in the news, and its going to be here for a long time (almost certainly for ever) – and keeping people as safe as possible is going to be crucial.

 

Yes, I'm writing about Coronavirus.

 

The mortality rate (from what we presently know) is going to be highest for the Over 80s and for these people, the advice may soon be to self-isolate as much as possible, maybe for a long period of time, yet this group does include people whose social circles are already small.

 

Your Face may be just one of a handful of people they see on a regular basis. Your face is one they may trust, implicitly. This is all going to make them even more lonely and if they watch the news (which this group does or a very regular basis), then the next few months are going to be bad news after badder news.

 

An 80 year old (who did have a family) is likely to have children in the age group of late 40s to very early 60s, people who are still working and with generic lifestyle commitments that mean they will find it difficult to avoid contact with people who could pass on the virus. How a son or a daughter then rationalises how they support their parent(s), without increasing the chances of infecting them, is a decision they are going to think seriously about.

 

The signs are that some people will only have a very mild version of the virus, so not easily recognising they are a carrier and passing it on to others, even when they do lessen their contact circles.

 

One of the key new 'processes' that this all will bring is that Doctors and all their support staff (everyone across the NHS) will be looking at using technology more and more to contact and then keep up communication using digital methods.

 

This will be emails (far quicker contact than say letters), yes telephone conversations (NHS Direct etc) and through using live video.

 

My suggestion to you is yes live video is an opportunity, and yes Facebook has a complete set of communication services within its platform, but email is very simple and authoritative, and is widely widely used.

 

 

You may have clients (and supporters) who are not very well 'connected' (little or no digital channel use), as well as a number of 'Silver Surfers' who can do anything a tech savvy 16 year old can, but now is not the right time to work on the latter (the very knowledgable) spreading the word (and the skills) as devoted fans do for their favourite artists.

 

Just concentrate on the basics – and replicate how letters are part of the structure in life that many a retiree has always responded to – by making content you share by email.

 

This can be regular (even daily) words of support and using buttons as well as text links to share resources that people can use and be supported by.

 

It can also take and make a new form of Vlogging to be something that makes you, that familiar and really really trusted face, a 'star' to the people you help.

 

This might only be to 5-10-15 people. It could be to 50 or 100, but why some YouTubers are very wealthy is because they have established a (video) relationship with their followers.

 

They give an insight into their own lives – in this case, this idea, you give an insight into what your charity is doing when it can't come to that persons' door, to say 'hello'.

 

It can be a way of engaging people so that you can pick up on social interactions when you make a phone call – think asking people to watch TV programmes and respond (when you ring) as do the Googlebox superstars

 

It can be holding up a leaflet, going through it and explaining some of the information that the leaflet gives, all adding to the reassurance, the validity of what support is being given.

 

You can do the same by talking about a website people can use, then turning round your computer screen and actually showing people where certain buttons will take people using the site.

 

 

Basically, its creating a regular even daily contact newsletter (no-where near as difficult as you might think) and then having content you can easily make and then share - its one way you can keep your familiar face in front of people who have to keep themselves isolated over the next few weeks.

 

It does mean finding the best way to have affordable access to an email account, where the people you want to reach have very little access to digital communication can know that they will just be able to see what you send, and what their local surgery (and) councils, and other support can give them.

 

Its not the complications of any other messaging service or social media channel, just something that everyone can use, with simple clicks, to have a digital relationship when they can't answer the door.

 

This is something for even the smallest local charity. Its You who local people trust, even (much) more than any public information film or broadcast. Its just taking 'Vlogging' (why YouTube has become so successful – the 'bits' that are a key to why people watch) and making it 'local'. Its not expensive and doesn't take much time – if you prepare well.

A couple of links you may be interested in

How charities are going to help older people in self-isolation

Some of the mistakes that you could make in preparing for Covid-19