Getting someone to understand

[wowfudge]

My elderly dad is continuing to go for a daily paper. He's nearly 80 and it's a twenty minute round walk - the shop is a supermarket express store. My mother who is a bit younger than him is asthmatic and refusing to go shopping, etc. My belief is that he shouldn't be going - he can go for a walk, but it would be better if he was not going to the shop every day. How can I make him see sense and stop this? Mum is quite anxious about catching this and it killing her. She had a chest infection earlier in the year and it took her weeks to fully recover.

Can you see if the shop would deliver the paper for him? There were also some online places delivering free for 6 weeks. This might then enable him to stay in and get the paper?

I've already said he needs to get it delivered. The problem is that his world has shrunk - he does nothing online, has no mobile phone, doesn't drive, etc. Apparently he tried to make a completely non-essential appointment to see someone today and was surprised to be told they weren't doing that for the foreseeable future and he could fill in a form online.

I think some people look for an excuse.

My 75 year old 'has' to go out. On Monday it was Wickes, yesterday a prescription (they deliver) and today a paper. She 'nips' into various stores.

My neighbours (over 70) can't stay in or resist company. Monday it was garden centre and window cleaner, yesterday the shops and tree pruner (up ladders with chainsaw) and today shops again.

It pisses me off when I have two teenagers who's love to go out, I'd like to go to the garden centre and I'd have loved to have seen my mom Sunday.

Even if the newsagent delivered, he'd find an excuse to go to a shop.

My 75-year-old aunt

I don't even think it's that - he doesn't get how serious this is, even with everywhere closing. Because the shop also sells food he thinks it's okay. I might get my partner, a key worker, to tell him.

Me too. He says he stays in and understands but I know he goes to the paper shop each day. He was also looking up ferry prices for may. Was surprised when I said it wouldn't be happening.

I have a positive update: mum was able to get through to him that he was putting himself and her at increased risk and she told him she wasn't sleeping for worrying. A neighbour is now collecting the paper and posting it into their porch. They couldn't get a delivery locally.