To think Sainsbury’s haven’t really thought this through?

[ArgumentativeAardvaark]

Email from Sainsbury’s this morning about their efforts to keep stock on shelves and help the community during this crisis. All great. They have a dedicated hour three times a week for the elderly and vulnerable.

However they have now decided to extend access to that hour to frontline NHS staff. Staff who are going to be directly exposed to the virus every day, and who the media have told us will almost certainly get sick. Deliberately mixing with the elderly and vulnerable in an environment where people have to touch things.

Am I missing something here? Would they not be better to do a separate hour for NHS workers with a good clean afterwards?

And yes, I know that both if those groups are also free to shop at any other time they like, but it just seems strange to deliberately bring them together.

*Over 70’s should be SI. Not going to the supermarket. Why isn’t this message getting through.

Perhaps because many have nobody to shop for them and they don’t want to starve to death?*

Exactly this. There are some pensioners without the money or transport to buy in large quantities. If anyone’s really bothered about over 70s going to supermarkets, maybe offer to do some shops for them.

To be honest they would be better putting together boxes of "essentials for key workers containing loo roll, tea, packet of biscuits etc and stuff to make a couple of meals for a couple of days - bit like those eat fresh meal companies - key workers, vulnerable and elderly can then go to one point and pick up a box

There are so many places that are delivering and helping the over 70’s. I think that this encourages them to feel it’s safe to shop. When it’s not.

My parents and pil are over 70 and they are SI. They and we are working ways around this. Getting things delivered etc.

Over 70’s should be SI. Not going to the supermarket. Why isn’t this message getting through.

Exactly. Self-isolating, NOT social distancing. This was supposed to start today but there was no reminder yesterday in the briefing. Supermarkets need to rename it Keyworker Hour at the very least.

I understand some might not have friends or family to shop for them, but I had a massive row with my Dad yesterday because I phoned him to sort weekly shopping arrangements. He's "perfectly capable" apparently, and since Waitrose introduced Silver Hour, it's the highlight of his day, as he'll see all his friends. He now shops daily instead of weekly. He's not stupid, it's normalcy bias making him totally irrational.

I keep seeing people being attacked for criticising the behaviour of old people, but I am fucking terrified of losing my Dad. It's not ageism, it's love.

There are no delivery slots here until mid April. And many people have no family to shop for them. It’s so easy to be smug and critical when you have no concept of some people’s reality.

I wish they would sort out the delivery/click and collect slots for the vulnerable and elderly and give us priority. No one in our house is going into any supermarket. We now have the paper delivered and have upped the milk delivery but really struggle to get a delivery from any supermarket.

In case any of you work in the NHS, tesco is doing a sunday morning before store opens for you to shop. They tweeted about it last night. All you need to do is take your work badge with you.

McDonalds is also offering you a free drink on production of your work badge too.

The government and ceo of these major chains need to sit down and come up with a plan. Boris and Crew don’t seem to want to introduce rationing and although shops are now starting to impose a limit, for one it’s too little too late as the supermarkets allowed this madness to go on for weeks on end and did nothing but count all that extra money they made, now the shit has hit the fan they are coming with half arsed plans which From the sounds of it isn’t even going to be that helpful to the shift workers.

Then the supermarkets all have different rules some are only restricting the things like pasta, toilet roll, tinned food and other are restricting everything.

If they had stopped the madness of one person being able to buy 15 packs of plain flour and 2 full cases of beans and 15 packs of pasta we wouldn’t be in as much of a mess as we are now.

People are worse now than ever once schools started to close due to no staff I noticed an increase in queues etc and once it was officially announced by Boris, well that was it, the Lidl that just last Monday I walked into and could get every single item except toilet roll, anti bac wipes, beans and tuna has now turned into a minimum 30min queue just to get in with no one keeping their distance and fisty cuffs.

Our supermarket this afternoon was as rammed packed as ever. No one keeping their distance at the tolls either.

I'm a hospital nurse and am hoping my hospital will follow the same example as others nearby and start providing free food an hot meals to all staff. One hospital is also giving out free bread and milk.

Maybe different for older vulnerable people but for many younger vulnerable people with disabilities etc specially hidden ones, with the stigma and bizarre jealousy that being on benefits still attracts, it is not exactly easy or comfortable to suddenly make your vulnerability known to complete strangers who could be anyone.

Sadly such public or social media driven altruism attracts weirdos and narcissists too. And having to ask for help via Facebook is a privacy nightmare. We don't get to take back what we were forced to share out of desperation.

It doesn't feel great to have to declare it to any supermarkets either. Again, some staff are wonderful, some are your run of the mill prejudiced arseholes.

My friend who is older had a horrible experience with a courier driver yesterday when he tried to push into her house when she said she was self-isolating and would not come out but asked him to leave it on the doorstep, and she had to throw herself against the door to stop him, but he was determined to put the parcel inside on her doormat. Then he rang (or pretended to ring) his boss and yelled at her while thumping on the door that she was now blacklisted from the company and would never have any more parcels from them! So shocking :(

The man is clearly a nasty abusive shit (yes she reported him, brave woman) but we have to remember that even in, or espcially in a crisis like this not everyone becomes a hero and many of the normal fears and risks remain or get worse.

My DM is 76 and no underlying health conditions. My sister thinks it's perfectly acceptable for her to go to Tesco for "elderly hour". Even though she went to Tesco during "elderly hour" on Friday she's planning to go again tomorrow.

My DM has no underlying health conditions but our Dad has heart problems. I'm fit, no health problems, have a car and have to go to work (GP Receptionist) and more than willing to shop and drop but no, my DM wants to go out, probably to get away from my Dad.

I'm pissed off, I've even offered to lend her my sewing machine as her's broke a few months ago, asked her if she wants to sew crochet squares I made years ago into a blanket. I'm thinking sod trying to make self isolation interesting for her because she's not taking it seriously as she wants to go shopping!

I keep seeing people being attacked for criticising the behaviour of old people, but I am fucking terrified of losing my Dad. It's not ageism, it's love.

Your dad is being foolish. Don’t tar all those of his age with the same brush. So posters continually blaming the ‘elderly’ for doing this, that and the other are doing it because they love them? A bunch of strangers? Of course it’s ageist to condemn the elderly when there’s plenty of evidence that many younger people are doing the same things.

Exactly. I got that email off them & was open mouthed at the stupidity. One elderly person in the Midlands who didn't know they had the virus is responsible for at least 28 deaths at their Church (elderly congregation) & the reason its the biggest hot-spot after London. People's ignorance re infection control etc will cause un necessary death.

Absurd.If they're going to do this,they should allocate a different hour to the one for the elderly and vulnerable.

I really don't like this situation where I'm being told we might be turned away from our only large supermarket in town because we're not NHS workers or elderly. I buy baby formula and nappies from Sainsbury's, butnow I'm supposed to track whether it's "NHS /elderly hour" before we go out and attempt to find formula in the shop?! I don't understand why baby food (being purchased only, by 1 able bodied parent) isn't acceptable. Really fucked off with Lack of sleep with baby as it is, barely know what day it is most days so trying to figure out if we're "allowed" to go into the supermarket, really don't need this on top!!!!

You can go any time apart from the first hour of trading. It’s not that difficult to get your head round.

I think better to keep a stock of basics somewhere secure in the back, or a fenced off corner, and let NHS workers have access to that. It's like Domino's saying "come in for a free pizza Friday night". Many NHS workers don't work 9-5, it's well intentioned but almost cruel to those who can't make it, and hardly have any food at home now.

Phew. They have listened to customer feedback and changed it.

I really don't know why the government hasn't introduced proper rationing

Give it time, if people don't calm down and the food supply is under threat it will happen. The Government has other priorities right now, slowly but surely closing the country down, once the country is lockdown they'll be reassessing what else needs to happen.

It needs to be a different dedicated slot.

Ah it is, but the elderly and vulnerable is directly after and with no time for a clean down?