帮助我的邻居:他们可能需要帮助的迹象
Here are signs that your neighbor needs help and how to lend a hand.
Most of us have a neighbor of some sort or another. That person may live miles away or just across the hallway. 但是很多人, particularly neighbors without family or friends nearby or senior neighbors, may be at greater risk of isolation and loneliness. These burdens can have a serious impact on well-being: Social isolation increases the risk of premature death from all causes，根据… National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine.
不管你和谁住在一起, it pays to learn how to be a good neighbor and look out for one another. Here are signs that your neighbor needs help — and ways you can reach out.
未打开的邮件和无人认领的包裹
塞满的邮箱, newspapers that aren't promptly retrieved and packages that sit for days or more at a front door are all signs that a neighbor is either too ill or too overwhelmed to keep up with those daily tasks.
你可以如何帮助: 在理想的情况下, 当你或邻居第一次搬进来的时候, you would exchange information such as phone numbers and emails as well as emergency contact information. That way you have multiple ways of trying to reach them or a loved one in case of an emergency. If you don't have this information, simply check in and say "hello." Sometimes it seems like knocking on the door can be an imposition — but the simple act of seeing your neighbor, 面对面的, 建立连接.
你邻居日常生活的改变
即使他们独自生活, many neighbors have well-established and visible routines, such as going for a walk at a certain time during the day. If that routine changes for more than a day or two, it may be cause for concern.
你可以如何帮助: 第一个, take note of your neighbor's patterns — not to be nosy, but so you can notice if something is amiss and observe if your neighbor needs help. 在这种情况下, use your emergency contact information if you're unable to reach your neighbor in person.
极端天气
尤其是对年长的邻居, 雪, 冰, heat and cold can pose dangers if they try to leave their homes.
你可以如何帮助: Talk to your neighbors in need ahead of time and offer to retrieve groceries, shovel walks or run errands should conditions in your area worsen.
庭院维护或家庭护理问题
Take note of small changes in the outward appearance of their home or yard. For example, is the typically meticulously manicured lawn in disarray? Or, have you noticed damaged gutters, broken shutters or windows or other home-care issues? 这可能是你的邻居需要帮助的信号.
你可以如何帮助: 如果你觉得舒服的话, try to gently approach the issue with your neighbor and ask if they need assistance with tasks around the house outside. 你可能修不了排水沟, 但你也许能在其他方面帮上忙, like mowing the lawn or putting out the trash bins. If you're not familiar or comfortable with your neighbors, consider contacting community resources who may be able to help.
