Testing promising approaches to reducing loneliness: results and learnings of Age UK's loneliness Pilot

Author(s)

AGE UK

Publisher(s):

Age UK

Publication year:

2016

This report shares the results of Age UK’s loneliness pilot programme, which aimed to find out Age UK services could better reach older people experiencing loneliness, develop individually tailored solutions and help older people access activities and services within their community. Chapter one outlines origins of the programme, which involved eight local Age UKs in a 12 month pilot. Local services developed three common approaches: recruiting ‘eyes on the ground’ to identify older people experiencing, or at risk of, loneliness; developing co-operative networks with other agencies; and use of traditional befriending services. Chapter two highlights examples of services that local Age UKs are delivering and how the adoption of certain approaches improved their impact on lonely older people. Chapter three look at some of the impacts of the programme. It found that a large number of the older people supported during the programme experienced a reduction in their loneliness scores. This was especially true amongst older people who were often lonely. Some older people also identified feelings of increased independence, wellbeing and connectedness with people. Chapter four outlines the next steps for the Age UK programme. (Edited publisher abstract)