The studio where Luis Gallardo (84) lives is small, with barely enough space for a sofa bed and the walker parked in the corner, but it is in perfect condition. On the table, a telephone that never rings, and … that he doesn’t pick up either, unless he knows who is behind the number in question. Too many bad experiences accumulated during his long life of solitude.
One of the few calls he answers without hesitation is that of Manolo Aceituno, employee of the 112 telephone service in Madrid and volunteer for three years with the NGO Nadiesolo.org, an entity dedicated to supporting people who suffer from unwanted loneliness due to age, illness, dependence, disability or risk of exclusion. “Every other day, I call him just to see how he is or if he needs anything, and every Wednesday, without fail, I take him to eat stew in his neighborhood,” the man explains.
With a distinctly supportive character, Aceituno has been volunteering in different associations since the age of fifteen and for the past three years, every week, he has taken public transport from Villanueva de la Cañada, where he lives, to go see Luis to the Tetuán neighborhood. In this neighborhood, he explains, “Luis feels comfortable because he knows the people in the stores, at the supermarket and he has everything he needs around him. This man has his house in order but, he explains, it is true that due to the few meters he has, no one could spend the night there.
The plan to eat at a restaurant, Luis admits, “is the one I like the most, without a doubt.” The rest of the week, he explains, “I get up, I shower, I’m at home, I read the newspaper and I do word searches. I look at the tablet a little, but politics doesn’t interest me, one day they tell you one thing and the next day, the opposite. What if I feel alone? A lot. I watch football, bullfights, regional channels… Several times, I find myself talking alone in front of the television. Sometimes I feel sad, I’ve even crossed periods of depression. “I’m getting through these days, but it’s true that now that Christmas is approaching, it affects me because it makes me more aware of the situation.”
“How do you get to a situation like this, in which a person has no friends, family, acquaintances or work colleagues to call and congratulate on the holiday? -he thinks out loud-. We wonder, yes. I had two brothers, both deceased, single and without children. I don’t have nephews, nor distant cousins, with whom I have little interaction, because they live in Gijón,” explains Luis.
This situation of loneliness, explains Violeta Jaraquemada, of Nadiesolo.org, “anyone can find themselves in this situation. We must be aware of it and carry out awareness campaigns. The aging of the population means that the group of vulnerable people increases. We see how our work as an entity increases because, in addition, there are not enough health services to reach the entire population. We would all like to age in our home, in our environment, and social services are making a huge effort to that we have the solutions but, when you live alone, you lack company.
In the older age group, concludes Jaraquemada, “we see how the volume of requests for help increases every year, just as we know that there are many more people who feel alone and who do not dare to raise their hands. It is as if they live in perpetual confinement. “And we already know that social isolation and unwanted loneliness predict greater morbidity and mortality.”
The relationship between Luis (left) and Manolo (right) has been built over these three years and they already consider each other friends
The generosity of volunteers like Manolo takes on particular importance in these situations. “Hands are always needed to help the elderly at home and it only takes two hours of your time a week,” the man explains. “Despite the age difference, we integrated well. Luis is super grateful. Little by little, with these visits, his desire to live has returned, he is more excited,” he admits.
From his experience, “I encourage everyone to participate in these types of programs. The possibilities are numerous, the programs of this particular NGO offer a lot of versatility. It’s as simple as Jaraquemada explains, “you just have to register and choose the modality that best suits everyone’s possibilities.” In this type of solidarity activity, Manolo concludes, “not only do the elderly benefit, but we, the volunteers, also benefit. It is an awakening of the senses. An activity for and by society that comforts, fulfills and satisfies.”
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