Working together to create vital
connections with older people
Laura Ferguson, Director, Campaign to End Loneliness
www.campaigntoendloneliness.org.uk
To discuss…
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What is loneliness?
What causes loneliness?
The impacts of loneliness
Combating loneliness:
– Individual action
– Improved interventions
– Creative partnerships
• What the Campaign to End Loneliness will do
www.campaigntoendloneliness.org.uk
“I want to visit family members more often but
…the cost of petrol is too high
and the cost of a train ticket
is out of the question –
I would have to win the lottery.”
Quoted in Listening to You, a baseline survey for the
Campaign to End Loneliness, Cupitt (2011)
www.campaigntoendloneliness.org.uk
Definitions*
• Loneliness – personal perspective
• Isolation – can be counted by someone else
Isolation can lead to loneliness, but sometimes
solitude can be wonderful.
*Adapted from Professor Mima Cattan, Northumbria
University
www.campaigntoendloneliness.org.uk
Statistics on isolation and
loneliness
17% of older people are in contact with family, friends and
neighbours less than once a week, and 11% are in contact less
than once a month (Victor et al, 2003)
Over half (51%) of all people aged 75 and over live alone (ONS,
2010)
Half of all older people (over 5 million) say the television is their
main company (Harrop and Jopling, 2009)
9% say they feel cut off from society (GfK/NOP, 2005)
Just under 50% of older people are sometimes or always
lonely and 10% of older people say they always feel lonely (Victor
et al, 2003)
www.campaigntoendloneliness.org.uk
What causes loneliness?
Personal:
• Health/ disability
• Income – determines
activity
• Age – ‘older old’
• Life stages and
change: bereavement
Wider society:
• Transport
• Physical environment
• Community
involvement
• Housing
• Technology
• Change
www.campaigntoendloneliness.org.uk
The impact of loneliness
Health – physical and mental
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As big a risk to health as smoking and obesity
A doubled risk of Alzheimer’s disease
Greater likelihood of unhealthy life style
Damage to immune and cardiovascular system
Clear link to depression
www.campaigntoendloneliness.org.uk
Combating loneliness…
www.campaigntoendloneliness.org.uk
Combatting loneliness
through..
Individuals taking action
“I know people contribute a lot toward making your
life, but I do think you’ve got to try and make a life
for yourself as well. I mean, I for one would not sit
here for 3 weeks on my own with no one to talk to.
I’ve got a free bus pass and I would go to… one of
the big places ‘cause there is always somebody
that will talk to you”
Quote from Safeguarding the Convoy, A Call to Action from
the Campaign to End Loneliness, Age UK Oxfordshire (2011)
www.campaigntoendloneliness.org.uk
… working in communities
e.g.
• Group interventions with a focused educational
input or provide targeted support activities
• Target specific groups e.g. widowed, inactive
• Representative of the target group
• Consultation and control by the targeted
• Developed within an existing service
(Cattan, 2005)
www.campaigntoendloneliness.org.uk
… working together to create vital
connections
Local statutory agencies partnering with local
voluntary and community groups to..
• Understand need via grassroots and mapping
• Fix baselines and milestones
• Existing money, small amounts of money, or no
money
• Making loneliness a public health task
www.campaigntoendloneliness.org.uk
Where to start?
• Everyone taking responsibility to make a
small difference
• Involving older people
• Identifying those who are lonely or are at risk
of loneliness
• Ensuring the health impacts of loneliness are
acted upon through local health
commissioning
• Preventing loneliness at times of life-change
www.campaigntoendloneliness.org.uk
What will we do…
• Raise awareness - health impacts of loneliness.
Nationwide campaign to influence health and
wellbeing boards in 2012.
• Peer-learning – sharing what works in reducing
loneliness – could your project be included?
• We will improve the knowledge base about
loneliness – working with researchers and
practitioners in the older age charity sector.
• We will inspire people approaching older age to
futureproof their lives against loneliness.
www.campaigntoendloneliness.org.uk
Join us
Receive the latest research news on combating
loneliness
o Sign up as a supporter – receive the latest
research news on loneliness
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o info@campaigntoendloneliness.org.uk to
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Campaign to End Loneliness
3 Rufus Street, London N1 6PE
laura@campaigntoendloneliness.org.uk
020 7012 1409
www.campaigntoendloneliness.org.uk
‘Loneliness and the feeling of
being unwanted is the most
terrible poverty.’
Mother Teresa
www.campaigntoendloneliness.org.uk
References
Cattan, M, White, M, Bond, J and Learmouth, A (2005). Preventing social isolation
and loneliness among older people: a systematic review of health promotion
interventions. Ageing and Society, 25, 1, 41–67
GfK/NOP (2005) ‘Help Unite Generations (HUG) Survey for Help the Aged’
(unpublished)
GfK/NOP (2006) ‘Spotlight 2006 Survey for Help the Aged’ (unpublished) data was
used in Help The Aged (2006) Spotlight Report 2006: spotlight on older people in
the UK (Help the Aged: London)
Harrop, A and Jopling, K (2009) One Voice: shaping our ageing society (Age
Concern and Help the Aged) can be accessed online:
http://www.pdteam.org.uk/olderpeople/documents/OneVoiceReport.pdf
Harrop, A and Jopling, K (2009) One Voice: shaping our ageing society (Age
Concern and Help the Aged).
Office for National Statistics (2010) General Lifestyle Survey 2008 (London: Office
for National Statistics).
Victor, C. Scambler, S, Bond, J and Bowling, A. ‘Being alone in later life: loneliness,
social isolation and living alone’ Reviews in Clinical Gerontology 2000 v.10 (4)