A BUSINESS that is a lifeline for elderly people in the county has closed its doors until the coronavirus storm passes.

Amy’s Care, based in Keswick, has taken the decision to temporarily close its doors in line with government guidelines to protect its clients amid the Covid-19 outbreak.

The lifeline provides daycare through social clubs for older people – particularly those with dementia.

Fraser Dooley, founder of Amy’s Care, said: “We’re overall viewing it as a temporary closure, hopefully, it’s temporary but depending on what happens in the future, that is how long it will go on for.

“I really feel for all our clients, and their carers, because they are going to find it really hard during this isolation period.”

Social isolation due to coronavirus could have a greater impact on elderly people who will feel the effects of loneliness.

The Campaign to End Loneliness has stressed online how important it is that people maintain some kind of communication with their elderly neighbours or relatives during this time.

Fraser suggests that people can support their community during this time by seeing if they need anything delivered or picking up.

He said: “If they can telephone on a regular basis, once a day, twice a day, it wouldn’t hurt, just to see if everybody is alright and some human contact. That is the simplest thing.

“It’s just maintaining that human contact so people don’t feel like they are alone really.

“To stay indoors alone has a very negative effect on us all and especially people who are elderly and not all of them can necessarily do things for themselves. Just to feel like they are not alone is very important. “

Volunteers of the business will still be giving regular phone calls to some clients for the time being.

People can support Amy’s Care by telling others about it.