‘I want to get out and socialise with my friends now that I’ve had the vaccine,’ says retired microbiologist Tom Lillis

:: Isolation caused by club shutdown has been particularly hard

Tom Lillis (79) at the Kingswood Community Centre in Tallaght which has been closed since last March. Photo: Gerry Mooney

Allison Bray

March 31 2021 02:30 AM

It's been a long winter for retiree Tom Lillis who has been unable to meet his friends.

Like many older people, the 79-year-old microbiologist from Tallaght is finally looking forward to a ray of sunshine that his second inoculation with the Covid-19 vaccine will bring him later this week.

"I’m getting my jab on Thursday,” he said.

While he and his wife Kay will continue to wear masks when in shops and follow other precautions, being fully inoculated has come as a huge relief to the couple.

"It does give you a great confidence,” he said, noting there is a noticeable lifting of tension amongst his peers who have had their jabs.

"You can see it in others, the smiles are returning,” he said.

And while Tom and Kay have been fortunate to be able to have masked visits in their garden with their daughter Rachel (40) and Skype calls with their granddaughters Robyn and Lucy, he has a four-month-old grandson Thomas, who lives in New York with his son Michael (36), whom he has yet to meet.

But he considers himself lucky. Many of his counterparts in his retirement social club, the Kingswood-Kilnamanagh Active Age Group for Men, have found the isolation during lockdown to be particularly hard.

"We’re just hanging on,” he said.

Before the pandemic struck, the 25 members of the club aged 65 to 89 had been meeting every Tuesday at their local community club where they had tea and a chat, played cards or dominoes, or took part in bowling and pickleball, among other activities.

But that all ground to a halt during the lockdown, leaving many of the members – especially those who are widowers – at a loose end.

While they are tech-savvy and keep up with each other over Zoom chats and walks at the local park, many were feeling very down and lonely during the lockdown, said Tom.

"It has been difficult, they’re finding it hard.”

Those who lost their wives were feeling especially isolated, he said.

"You’re married for so many years and then you have no one to talk to,” he said.

The experiences of his club members are reflected in a new report by Age and Opportunity, which found that Covid-19 restrictions have been devastating for older people’s social groups.

It found that the fear of contracting Covid-19 is the biggest barrier to recommencing group activities, including physical activity.

But it also found that groups like Tom’s retirement club are an important part of their lives and that these groups “with access to safe outdoor and indoor spaces fared better when restrictions were lifted somewhat”.

It also found that people with internet access fared better at keeping in touch with others while the use of phones, social media and the post helps them stay in touch.

Karen Horgan, CEO of Age and Opportunity, said: “Our report on the impact of Covid-19 on physical activity in older people’s groups has shown that fear is a big factor in getting back to physical activity.

“Covid-19 has also highlighted the digital divide that exists in Ireland and we want to make sure that people who don’t have access to digital technology can still talk to someone about ways to ensure they keep active.”

Its national free phone service, Fitline, is encouraging older people to stay active.