Being lonely is an absolutely terrible feeling, and there’s nothing that really compares to it.
Of course, every one of us has felt lonely now and then, but for some people, it occurs a lot more often than it should.
Not everyone can count on a loved out to help us out and pull us out of the feeling, sometimes being lonely is just a major part of their lives.
A lot of seniors who live in nursing homes and care facilities struggle with these difficult feelings for long periods of time.
Unfortunately, a lot of retirement home residents are filled with people who feel lonely and miss their families and don’t have any friends to keep them company often.
It’s a major psychological problem on an international and grand scale, but luckily, there are some people out there who want to help these lonely elders as much as possible.
One of those people is Fraser, a 20-year-old Scottish student who realizes that interacting with other people, even if they’re strangers, could bring a lot of joy and peace to these elderly people.
It’s natural to think that you need to have regular human interaction in order to feel happy, and whenever Fraser thinks about the people living in retirement homes, his heart just sinks.
Luckily, the young man is also someone who prefers actions over words, so he decided to do something about it.
A couple of days a week, Fraser makes sure to head to his local retirement home to pick up some of the residents living there.
He then takes them on a rickshaw ride! It combats the loneliness while giving them a breath of fresh air.
It’s an activity that many of the residents look forward to, and Fraser is definitely well-liked and respected by the entire home.
Aside from trying to get them out of their homes more often, Fraser can also keep them company the entire time and make some conversation with them.
His rickshaw vehicle can hold two people at once, and it looks like a really fun way to spend some time!
Everybody just loved this idea, and both the staff and the residents couldn’t be more grateful that this young man is willing to spend so much of his free time with them.
Of course, Fraser’s spare time is limited, but he makes sure to go on about four to five rides every week!
They vary in length, of course, but he wants to ensure that everyone who wants to go out for a ride has the opportunity to do so.
In this specific care center in Scotland, over sixty people have joined Fraser for a bike trip outside.
“When I first started going out, I thought it was marvelous.” Mary, one of the residents at the nursing home, said in an interview. “Such a change to get out of the 4 walls. I really enjoy it. The fresh air and the wind in your hair.”
You can just see the smiles on their faces whenever Fraser takes them for an adventure outside.
The young man hopes that he can take this concept and expend it throughout Scotland, and perhaps even internationally. Of course, he also hopes that other people will be inspired by him and do something similar in their own community.
“I think projects like this can make society better.”
It’s no secret that loneliness is one of the major problems in the senior population, and it’s small acts like these that can truly make a world of difference. What an amazing idea!
Learn more about Fraser and the beautiful friends he’s making in the video below.
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