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Original poster

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

116 replies

polarfrogs · 14/03/2020 07:57

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.

OP posts:
BIWI · 14/03/2020 09:49

I'd also recommend that you join your local nextdoor.co.uk group.

This is the message that was posted on ours a few days ago:

A thought on the current situation
There's a lot of guidance about the virus from the Govt, WHO, the CDC and loads of other experts. They all suggest that older people are more vulnerable and some suggest older people should consider not going out as much.

So, if there are older people in the group who might be in need for things to be picked up or in need of supplies over the next few weeks / months, please use this platform to ask for help and hopefully one of us can help in a way that doesn't put any of the parties at risk if we are available.

Let's use this platform to support each other (in a sensible way) as a community.

Exhaustedpidgeon · 14/03/2020 09:49

Our local facebook groups all have posts offering to shop for anyone who needs it. Might be worth looking there. If you lived near me I’d happily pick up medications and do shopping for you x

Nofoolfornoone · 14/03/2020 09:50

For prescriptions get the plus well ap - you order from them, they request from gp and then deliver to the door.

Why don’t you book food deliver slots for the next few weeks? They are fully booked for last minute deliveries but plan ahead

JasonBrun · 14/03/2020 09:50

Lol @Bercows . Waitrose to the rescue.

I also could not afford to self isolate. My wages are our food budget, and I don't earn enough for ssp.

SistemaAddict · 14/03/2020 09:51

I'm not a massive fan of baked beans anyway but I'd rather go without than eat cheap beans. I tried to get the children to eat cheaper versions but they didn't like them at all. There are other things you can eat cheaply if need be.

OP you might find the prepper threads helpful. The early brexit ones are particularly good with advice on how to make small changes to ensure you have what you need.

DonnaDarko · 14/03/2020 09:51

Have you tried Asda? We're probably not in the same area. I'm in Kent and they have slots available from Tuesday.

If you place an order now, they only charge 1p to authorise your card, they will collect the funds on the morning of your delivery.

daisypond · 14/03/2020 09:52

Daisypond claimed that she couldn't afford Waitrose when she isn't on a low income.
I’m not on a low income - not what I would call a low income - but I couldn’t afford to spend 65p on beans. All my shopping is done at Lidl and is carefully budgeted.

mumtheboss · 14/03/2020 09:52

As PP said online pharmacy - I too use Pharmacy2U and they are very good. Order online when you need meds (prescription is approved via your doctors) and meds are posted to you.

sashh · 14/03/2020 09:54

Re prescription medications - there are now services you can use to order online and have it posted to you.

ALL pharmacies deliver. My GP sends prescriptions electronically to the local pharmacy who will then deliver.

OP

Talk to your neighbours, maybe you can get a delivery for you and a few neighbours?

Or book click and collect and a taxi to collect, again spreading the cost.

I think the thing is to make plans and isolate as much as possible.

I'm in Wolverhampton, anyone can have meals on wheels delivered in the city and some areas just outside, I already get a delivery 1 day a week but would consider more if my carer coulsdn't get to me, or if he needs to self isolate.

Obviously there is a delivery driver but from the information given it could be left outside the door.

Milk and more have emailed asking people to stay 1m away from their delivery staff, which I think for most people is not a problem as they deliver at 4.00am.

MrsPelligrinoPetrichor · 14/03/2020 10:00

You should definitely set up a medication delivery for your parents regardless of Corona, it takes the pressure off you and if you were ever unable to pick it up for them you wouldn't be worrying about it.

Daffodil55 · 14/03/2020 10:07

I didn't know where to post this so apologies for bunging it in here but I read the other day and again last night that in North Korea the leader has ordered people diagnosed with CV to be shot. I felt sick at what was printed.

It fits with the other horrors in that regime so would not be surprised if true.

His way of stopping the spread in it's tracks.

SudokuQueen · 14/03/2020 10:13

I'm not a massive fan of baked beans anyway but I'd rather go without than eat cheap beans.

That is just about the most stupid and arrogant thing I've ever read on here.

I'd rather die than eat cheap beans. Hmm

Poor you, possibly having to eat cheap beans. They are only got poor people yeah? Boris, is that you on mumsnet now?

SonjaMorgan · 14/03/2020 10:14

@polarfrogs if you have symptoms please ask on here, Facebook, anywhere for people to help picking up items. If you were to infect your parents and it killed them you would have to live with the guilt. Lots of people in my area are stepping up and providing contact details to help out.

Jenasaurus · 14/03/2020 10:14

With all the panic buyers in the supermarkets -massive queues reported at 7am at my local Tesco, mixing with so many people, they will be at risk of catching it there I would have thought.

Jenasaurus · 14/03/2020 10:17

I have ordered some water and my regular meal replacement shakes so have decided not to panic about buying other things as I need to lose weight and will take this time to live on air! :) seriously though there will be enough of everything if we all calm down.

I have got toilet rolls and will share with my friends, family and neighbours if they need them. I didnt panic buy them I always get them in bulk from Amazon as I dont drive and they are hard to carry

m0therofdragons · 14/03/2020 10:20

For those assuming Waitrose is expensive, my last order was £20 cheaper in Waitrose than ASDA (I did an order on both apps to compare).

In Italy, food shops and pharmacies are open but you need to really consider isolating as much as possible

diddl · 14/03/2020 10:23

I think that there should to be something put in place if necessary & to not keep relying on the public to sort things out.

Isolating a whole family because one has a cough just won't be workable for a lot of people, neither will keeping that one person isolated within the family home.

pearpickingporky84 · 14/03/2020 10:25

Having read a few threads in here this morning there seems to be some confusion between self isolation and social distancing.
Self isolation- isolating yourself your home following the guidelines on the 111 website. This is what anyone with a persistent cough or a temperature of 37.8 and above should be doing for 7 days (and contacts if known cases/returning travellers from category 1 areas for 14 days)
Social distancing- staying apart from others as much as possible to avoid spread, cancelling big events, avoiding handshakes etc ie. what we all should be doing.
Self isolation is not certainly privilege and is done for the safety of everyone else, not yourself!

Porcupineinwaiting · 14/03/2020 10:26

The alternative is unchecked epidemic diddl. And its perfectly possible, its what's happening in other countries.

MintyMabel · 14/03/2020 10:28

Wow. It’s almost like people have been right to start contingency planning for this weeks ago.

SistemaAddict · 14/03/2020 10:29

@SudokuQueen don't be so ridiculous. I didn't say I'd rather die than eat cheap beans. I said there was other things to eat instead. I make my own bread for instance and the children and I would happily eat just toast. I didn't say anything about going hungry.

Unescorted · 14/03/2020 10:32

Re foodbanks - I can't speak for all of them but ours and others around us are set up to deliver. We will be extending this to people who are unable to get out b/c they are in isolation. It may be worth contacting your FB - you may be surprised.

Shopkinsdoll · 14/03/2020 10:33

GinNotGym19
Thanks for that I never knew. So I don’t get paid till next Thursday. Can I put in my order a week before. So my delivery will come on the Thursday? So they won’t try and charge me the full shop there and then? I’m skint till then.

SudokuQueen · 14/03/2020 10:36

@Bercows

You said 'I'd rather go without than eat cheap beans'. That means you'd rather starve than eat cheap beans. Choose your words more carefully next time if that's not what you mean. Some people don't have a choice in what beans they get, or what food they get at all.

LaCherriesJubilee · 14/03/2020 10:38

There is a service now which posts prescriptions free of charge. You should ask at the GP surgery/chemist if they offer that.

And as for online deliveries, just plan ahead. Book the slot that is available in a week, and keep an eye on new slots opening up.