Lonely widow checks in on isolated people

A woman has spent seven years using her experience of loneliness to support other vulnerable people.

Kath Chadwick from Smallthorne, Staffordshire, became a widow 14 years ago after her husband needed to be cared for in care home because of his Alzheimer’s.

She now makes calls for CareLink - a telephone befriending and monitoring service provided by the Saltbox charity - twice a week.

"I love it," she says. "They tell me about all their troubles and I tell them about mine."

Mrs Chadwick was thanked with a bouquet of flowers after volunteering for five years

Mrs Chadwick spoke openly about her feelings of isolation after her sons moved out and her husband passed away.

"It’s like a curtain comes down and you’re at odds with everybody and everything."

She has limited mobility after medical procedures on her toe, both knees and a recent hip operation making socialising even more difficult.

"I said to the doctor, ‘Do whatever you want but leave my tongue alone because I won’t be able to talk!"

Affectionately known as "Trouble" by the CareLink staff, Mrs Chadwick voluntarily checks on the welfare of her clients from home.

The charity organises meals and trips for callers and clients to meet each other face-to-face

Service co-ordinator for CareLink, Nikki Simpson, said the calls clients receive can be the only human interaction they have that week.

"They keep in touch but it’s also a crisis prevention call."

Volunteers feed back to staff alerting them of any concerns, complaints or changes in behaviour.

Mrs Simpson encourages volunteers or people who would benefit from the service to contact CareLink.