Jenny Willott, Chief Executive at Re-engage—a charity working to reduce loneliness in older people—explores how social isolation impacts both residents and care staff, and how care settings can help build social connection.
While the advent of Covid wreaked havoc among the population, particularly targeting older people, it also served as a catalyst for a highly effective innovative service at Re-engage.
The all-encompassing shutdown meant our charity, which had traditionally supported people aged 75 and over who were lonely or isolated through regular free tea parties, had to find a new way to stay connected with them. And so Call Companions, a telephone befriending service, was born.
The service allowed Re-engage volunteers easier access to older people relying on social care services – a group more likely to experience mobility and health problems that make opportunities to connect with their communities rare.
This social isolation, as highlighted by the Mental Health Foundation, is part of a cycle that leads to poor mental health, which, in turn, exacerbates loneliness.
But our low cost and ‘never-ending’ Call Companion service – which also supports older LGBT+ people and those with Parkinson’s – helps break that vicious circle. Eight out of ten older people who receive a weekly call from a Re-engage volunteer say it gives them something to look forward to and almost as many feel happier after their conversations. The effectiveness of the service was recently summed up by a widow in her late eighties who told me her two Call Companions were her ‘earth angels’.
The beauty of this free service – which currently supports over 1,500 older people – is that it’s available as long they want or need it.
Our charity, which is celebrating its 60th anniversary this year, began by bringing older people together for monthly tea parties at the homes of volunteers where they provided tea, sandwiches, cakes and most importantly, the chance to chat with someone.
Since its nascent beginnings in London in 1965, Re-engage now has 325 tea party groups across England, Scotland and Wales. There are also over 60 activity groups where older people can, among other things, play board games, cards or participate in chair yoga.
While the exercise obviously aids physical health the social interactions are always a vital ingredient, providing a link to the outside world that our older people say makes them feel part of the local community again.
As we continue to develop our services we aim to build research partnerships with social care providers, universities and other charitable organisations to develop evidence-based strategies tailored to the needs of socially isolated older people. As part of this we have an ‘accelerator’ programme that supports those seeking new ways to tackle loneliness among older people while giving partners access to the hardest-to-reach and most vulnerable communities.
A recent report by the International Longevity Centre UKi revealed that ageism and stigma prevent many older people from seeking mental health support. This is the sort of problem that could be addressed if policymakers and care leaders developed a culture of connection making it an integral part of holistic care rather than just an ‘add-on’ service.
We are also introducing a consultancy service to support businesses and other organisations who want to embed gold standard frameworks promoting practices that identify and reduce loneliness and isolation.
Care staff play a vital role in reducing loneliness among older people as they are often the first point of contact for residents or those who may be isolated at home. Many of our referrals come from them and family members concerned about a relative.
Finally, I must pay tribute to our army of 9,000 volunteers who selflessly donate their time and make gargantuan efforts to help older people who might otherwise lead, lonely, miserable lives. They are the backbone of Re-engage and we could not exist without them.
