On Sunday morning, I received a phone call around 11am from someone working for the NHS. He asked me a number of questions and assured me I was officially on the list of extremely vulnerable people who need to shield. He checked to see if I could get food and supplies, had the ability to take care of my basic needs at home alone, and whether or not I had social contact with others or was struggling with mental health in any way (so glad they are checking on this!). I asked him about my main concerns, including making sure grocery stores knew I was on the list so that I can get a delivery, and wondering if 111 would be able to see that I was extremely vulnerable if I, G-d forbid, called in with symptoms. He assured me that they would get a ‘red alert’, and said he thought that Sainsbury’s would have my info within 24-48 hours. I can’t tell you how excited this made me!
On Monday morning, I received another phone call, this time from the local council– it was actually a librarian from a nearby town who has been re-employed to call vulnerable people. She wanted to make sure I had food and support, and gave me numbers, with the exact language to use, to chase up the people at Sainsbury’s and get access to their deliveries. She also told me about some support schemes from local supermarkets, including volunteer pay cards, which I could load with money and the volunteer shopper could use on my behalf. At Waitrose, they even have a system set up where you have to confirm you have received the groceries before Waitrose will take the payment, thus Waitrose absorbs any risk, and not vulnerable people. She also provided me with a council number to receive urgent help, in case I do somehow find myself completely without food or other urgent items.
Yesterday afternoon, while I was disinfecting the Gousto delivery for the week, I heard a loud knock at my door. It was in the middle of one of the worst downpours of the day (the weather turned in England yesterday), and so the delivery person didn’t stick around. I peeked out my window, wondering, What could it be? I didn’t have any orders due. There was a large cardboard box sitting on my doormat, with a loaf of bread on top.
When I finally managed to get the box inside (it was very heavy, and the cardboard was rapidly softening), I saw the letter from HM Government on top– it appears they sent me an Emergency Food Package! I was rather overwhelmed, both with the showing of support, but also with the sheer amount of food which I might not be able to use, and definitely didn’t need… Especially not the bread. I’ve followed the directions on the letter to stop the delivery, ‘to prioritise deliveries for those most in need’, but I may hover near the door next week on Tuesday to turn away the delivery if need be, which the letter says will mean it is redelivered.
It may have taken six and a half weeks, but I am rather impressed with the way the government is actually making good on its promises! I hope people with less ability to advocate for themselves are being reached, but I have a feeling it depends on the attentiveness of their GPs. I haven’t been able to get a delivery with Sainsbury’s yet, but I haven’t had time to sit on the phone at the number I was given. Hopefully next week I will be able to sort that out. In the meantime, I’m sifting through the government’s emergency food package, and looking into getting the food I don’t need to a family in need locally.
This Isolation Life 