The co-ordinator of the Leitrim Calling phone befriending service says a new challenge of re-integration will face everyone when the Covid pandemic is over.
The Leitrim Calling service was established over a decade ago in response to a census that showed a large number of people living alone in the county.
The service is free and involves volunteers making phone calls on a regular basis to people in their homes and helping them access services if necessary.
Marion Quigley says the numbers of people asking to be put on the list to get a phone call on a weekly basis has increased significantly over the past year.
She says while people have shown great strength and resilience so far there they will also need help when things start to return to normal.