to think that I won't be able to self isolate if I have to

[polarfrogs]

I have nobody to do the shopping for me or my elderly parents so I will have to carry on with that. I have tried to get a delivery slot today but they are either all fully booked or cost money which is beyond my budget so I will have to go shopping at some point. I don't have other family or friends to call on - parents have dementia, PILs are deceased and parents and us live in a different country to the rest of the family.

I need to go and get medication for both my parents and can't get more yet because their surgery only prescribe a month at a time; they have a week left in stock and the surgery won't authorise a request for another week.

We're on a low income and so can't do a bulk shop in advance.

I feel sorry for everyone who can’t afford to stock up. We live pay day to pay day, I was at the shops yesterday and for the first time felt the need to stock up, looking at everyone else’s trolleys. Just couldn’t afford to. We aren’t skint really, but definitely on a tight food budget.

This is the time to set up a community support group maybe on Facebook.If I lived around the corner from you I would help you. Please reach out to others. I bet others maybe feeling the same.

You can just do your best with this I think. If you have to self isolate, then stay in as much as you can, just go out when it can't be avoided. You won't want to go to your elderly relatives if you think you have it anyway.

It sounds like you have a partner. Unless you are both ill, the other person can go to the shops

You need to start putting things in place now.

Us = me and the children, not me + partner.

There's a website called Nextdoor which is trying to organise volunteer groups that would get shopping to vulnerable people, that could include neighbours who think they need to self-isolate.

My local Nextdoor group is not doing this, but I am thinking about putting notes thru the doors of local homes (we have a colony of old people) offering to get them stuff, once my workplace closes down.

Yabu, if you are ill and then you must Isolate.

No deliver skit tomorrow isn't an issue surely if your not having to self isolate yet? Book a delivery slot for next week and the week after, or for as long as you feel comfortable with for you and your parents.
You can also have medications delivered so arrange that now too.

Small, sensible actions now reduce your stress later.

I actually think it's going to be harder to persuade many vulnerable people to accept help, than it will be to find volunteers willing to help. Some folk will stubbornly refuse support even when they need it There has to be some trust both sides. I am thinking about a public register (list) of who is helping who to help reassure the shut-in that they aren't dealing with nutters and that there is some accountability.

• no delivery slot tomorrow 🤦‍♀️ typing and feeding the baby are not compatible

Can anyone fully self isolate. Maybe for a week or two but noone is fully self sufficient. We are still going to need people to go out to work so our supermarkets get their supplies. We can minimise social contact but noone is an island we can all fully self isolate. My parents are elderly and self isolating. I will drop food at their door and they are no longer doing childcare for me or my sister.
I need to go out to work (nhs) my husband will work from home but we cant self isolate. I need to go to work. It is getting scary but if we all pay attention to washing our hands and minimising social contact it will flatten the cover but loads of people cant self isolate. For financial and other reasons.

Meanwhile in the real world people are just cracking on with life. Self isolating is such a privileged thing to do.

We are also a bit stuffed - there are four of us living in a small two bedroom flat, including a toddler and a newborn....if one of us has to isolate or catches it, then I think we all will. Our parents are all in at risk groups and we don't have anyone else. I have bought a few extra bits for the freezer, but lack of space and money makes it hard...I don't really know how we would do it

I think there are services which will post medication to you, you could look into that for your parents just in case?

Re prescription medications - there are now services you can use to order online and have it posted to you. I use one called pharmacy4u.
Talk to the gp practice they use to see if any are available.
I'm having similar issues with online grocery shopping though.

Where are you based op?

You can get prescriptions delivered.

can you spend a few pounds on extra food?even if you have to live on cheap beans on toast for a couple of weeks anything is better than nothing.

If you really can’t do this because of financial hardship the food banks are set up to help, don’t be too proud to get in touch with your local one. Our local one is trying to help people self isolating too

I don’t think people understand what it is like to be on a very low income with no help in this country. We have many, many families reliant on food banks who live day to day with regards to food and income. Self isolating is a privileged thing to do as the above post says.

isthistrue which people? Ones with symptoms?

And before someone says use food banks our local one has said they are now short of items as people have stopped donating due to their own stockpiling...!

Book slots in advance? You can reserve them with a token amount of something random n change it the night before. If that only works with the more expensive limits do parents at the same time, not ideal having to drop off to them but possibly easier than random Tesco delivery guy with their dementia.

Check there’s no pharmacy delivery service for parents medication, locally there’s two and we’re in a tiny town. Larger areas often have online versions too.

In our village there is a Facebook group organised for helping those need support if isolated, if theres nothing like that where you live can you not start one, or talk to neighbours and arrange a reciprocal agreement just in case. Communities need to come together.

I am not on low income but I do care for my elderly parents, including my father with dementia. We've set them up with some supplies but have the same issue with meds, and if my mum gets ill dh or I will have to go over every day to look after him whether we are supposed to be in isolation or not. Cant be helped.

We've been considering if we had to self-isolate. We have milk delivered by "Milk & More". I suspect we will start to take advantage of the "& More" element and get perishable delivered. Unfortunately it's not a cheap way of doing it but if it's only for a couple of weeks...

Waitrose deliver for free. I couldn't get a next day slot last night but have got one for Tuesday midday. There's been some vouchers in the post for money off for new customers.

This is why the government won’t do anything too early. He’s being accused of killing people off but the exact opposite thing is happening. People are ignoring it though