are you lonesome tonight? tackling older people's loneliness and isolation - margy washbrook

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Are you lonesome tonight? Engage With Age Big Lottery Funded Project HOPE Hubs for Older People’s Engagement IPH Conference 14 October 2014 Margy Washbrook

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Are You Lonesome Tonight? Tackling Older People's Loneliness and Isolation - Margy Washbrook IPH, Open, Conference, Belfast, Northern, Ireland, Dublin, Titanic, October, 2014, Public, Health

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Page 1: Are You Lonesome Tonight? Tackling Older People's Loneliness and Isolation - Margy Washbrook

Are you lonesome tonight?

Engage With Age Big Lottery Funded ProjectHOPE

Hubs for Older People’s Engagement

IPH Conference14 October 2014

Margy Washbrook

Page 2: Are You Lonesome Tonight? Tackling Older People's Loneliness and Isolation - Margy Washbrook

ENGAGE WITH AGE community development partnership

improving the health and wellbeing of older people

“Giving a voice, providing a choice”

Page 3: Are You Lonesome Tonight? Tackling Older People's Loneliness and Isolation - Margy Washbrook

Engage With Age Strategic themes

O Reducing isolation and loneliness and its impact on health and well being

O Connecting and supporting older people and communities

O Influencing decisions and contributing to everyday life

O Working in partnership to achieve more

O Developing a strong and sustainable organisation.

Page 4: Are You Lonesome Tonight? Tackling Older People's Loneliness and Isolation - Margy Washbrook

Definitions O Loneliness – the undesirable,

subjective unwelcome feeling of lack or loss of companionship / meaningful relationships

O Social isolation – an objective, measurable state of having minimal contact with other people, e.g. family, friends & wider community

Page 5: Are You Lonesome Tonight? Tackling Older People's Loneliness and Isolation - Margy Washbrook

Types of loneliness

O Transient lonelinessO Situational loneliness, following a

major life eventO Chronic loneliness; an ongoing,

enduring experience

O NB Loneliness is not static – it is a fluid experience even for the severely lonely

Page 6: Are You Lonesome Tonight? Tackling Older People's Loneliness and Isolation - Margy Washbrook

• Effective interventions:– Groups that provide educational / problem solving or

targeted support activities for specific groups – Older people as active participants– Are theoretically grounded – Enhance self-esteem and personal control

• Evidence less clear for:– One to one interventions, e.g. befriending services,

volunteering or telephone advice• Lack of research on the impact of:

– Policy – The environment– Internet / technology

The evidence (Cattan 2005; Dickens 2011)

Page 7: Are You Lonesome Tonight? Tackling Older People's Loneliness and Isolation - Margy Washbrook

HOPE AimsThe aims of the Hubs for Older People’s Engagement (HOPE) project are to:

O increase the confidence of older isolated people through involvement in group and community activities which facilitate social networks and relationships;

O improve older people’s quality of life and sense of well-being through involvement in meaningful and fulfilling activities;

O foster positive and sustainable community relationships between existing housing associations, residents and staff and isolated older people living in local communities;

O develop the use of a sustainable volunteer programme which promotes intergenerational and one-to-one support of more isolated older people in the community.

Page 8: Are You Lonesome Tonight? Tackling Older People's Loneliness and Isolation - Margy Washbrook

The Hub Model

Hub

Establish a relationship with the housing association and local community

Assess community capacity and older people's needs

Reach out and provideopportunities for social contact

Page 9: Are You Lonesome Tonight? Tackling Older People's Loneliness and Isolation - Margy Washbrook

Evaluation in Action O Descriptive information - profile

participants, activities, participationO Focus groups – experiences, views

on what worksO The Outcomes Star for Older People –

measure progressO Questionnaires - participant and

volunteer satisfaction

Page 10: Are You Lonesome Tonight? Tackling Older People's Loneliness and Isolation - Margy Washbrook

Hub activities across Belfast

Summer barbeque at Inverary Fold

‘Time Travellers’ Men’s Group Visit to Crumlin Road Gaol

Furniture restoration class at Brookvale

Fold

Musical entertainment and Singalong at Elmgrove Manor

Men’s introduction to Sailing with Ocean

Youth Trust

Page 11: Are You Lonesome Tonight? Tackling Older People's Loneliness and Isolation - Margy Washbrook

Case Study

Eileen was a referral from her family. She had become extremely isolated and only left the house with family members, due to lack of confidence, depression and bereavement.

Eileen was introduced to the ‘hub’ at Elmgrove Manor (‘Likely Lads & Crafty Ladies’) where she started to make new friends and participated in a wide range of activities and outings that she would not otherwise have had the opportunity to try.

The Elmgrove hub had a big impact on her well being, enabling her to have the confidence to get out and about and mix with other people again giving her something to look forward to each week as well as having good fun and enjoying a laugh! She was also able to share a taxi with friends to get to the group reducing the cost which was an issue for her.

Eileen has since moved on from the ‘hub’ and has joined a local lunch club closer to her home. This suits her as she now gets picked up from home by minibus which helps since she has poor mobility. Eileen is an example of where the HOPE project can really make a diiference in someone’s life bringing them out of isolation, building their self confidence and giving them a new lease of life.

Page 12: Are You Lonesome Tonight? Tackling Older People's Loneliness and Isolation - Margy Washbrook

Ongoing evaluation

The Older Person’s Outcomes STAR

Page 13: Are You Lonesome Tonight? Tackling Older People's Loneliness and Isolation - Margy Washbrook

Lessons to be sharedMeasuring impactO Participants reported increased confidence and enjoyment from involvement in regular group activities and outings that they themselves have

chosen or initiated.

O The Older Persons Outcome Star is a useful tool for measuring the impact of the project on individual participant’s general wellbeing and engaging older people in self-assessment. It provides an effective basis for person centred planning with individual participants.

O Increased cross community and neighbourhood interaction has been evidenced.

O However more refined measurements for social isolation, social engagements and networks may provide additional evidence as to the impact of the project.

 

O   Participants report increased confidence and enjoyment from involvement in regular group activities and outings that they themselves have chosen or initiated. The positive impact of social engagement on confidence and wellbeing and the prevention of further social isolation are evidenced by positive Outcomes for Older People Star and focus group results. O   Older people living in sheltered housing schemes have not benefited from the project as much as older people living alone in the community and appear to be less at risk of social isolation. O   Participants referred from mental health services have demonstrated the most benefit from involvement the project. O   The project appears to be proactive in the prevention of social isolation with participants stating that it has ‘given me a new lease of life’ or ‘made me feel a different person’. O  

The demand from men, particularly younger older men, for different forms of social engagement challenges the gendered nature of social support and resulted in innovative and creative approaches to combating social isolation. Specific case studies demonstrated the positive impact of diversity on the range of activities delivered. O   The Older Persons Outcome Star is a useful tool for measuring the impact of the project on individual participant’s general wellbeing and engaging older people in self-assessment. It provides an effective basis for person centred planning with individual participants. However more refined measurements for social isolation and social networks may provide additional evidence as to the impact of the project on an individual’s level of

confidence and general wellbeing. O   Social capital existing within communities and neighbourhoods can be effectively harnessed to provide sustainable opportunities for social engagement for older residents with in a locality. Social interaction between the housing association residents and community residence has increased through the joint participation in groups and outings. Housing association residents and staff have been receptive to community involvement

and older people from the community have used the housing association. Further evaluation on the impact of the hubs on both the housing association folds and the local community is required.O   The involvement of older people and younger people (students) through the volunteer training and befriending program promotes intergenerational involvement and offers future sustainability the project.

Page 14: Are You Lonesome Tonight? Tackling Older People's Loneliness and Isolation - Margy Washbrook

Profile – Who Benefits?O Older people living alone in their own home - benefited most.

Participation from older people living in a sheltered housing scheme is less than what was expected.  

O Participants referred from mental health services have also demonstrated benefits from involvement in the project. However their involvement have created new challenges for the programme and maintaining their engagement.

O The demand from men, particularly younger older men, for different forms of social engagement challenges the gendered nature of social support - resulted in innovative and creative approaches to combating social isolation.

O Project participants are keen to meet and network with other older people from other neighbourhoods. Cross community activities have become a regular feature.

O Families, housing associations and referral agencies benefitting from programme

O Older volunteers - positive experiences as the result of participation.

Page 15: Are You Lonesome Tonight? Tackling Older People's Loneliness and Isolation - Margy Washbrook

Interventions –Why it Works?

O Putting older people at the centre of the programme

O The project appears to be proactive in the prevention of social isolation with participants stating that it has ‘given me a new lease of life’ or ‘made me feel a different person’.

O Participants report increased confidence and enjoyment from involvement in regular group activities and outings that they themselves have chosen or initiated.

O Social capital existing within communities and neighbourhoods can be effectively harnessed to provide sustainable opportunities for social engagement for older residents within a locality. Further evaluation on the impact of the hubs on both the housing association folds and the local community is required.

O The involvement of older people and younger people (students) through the volunteer training and one to one programme promotes intergenerational involvement and offers future sustainability the project.

Page 16: Are You Lonesome Tonight? Tackling Older People's Loneliness and Isolation - Margy Washbrook

Challenges for the next phase

O What are the needs of diverse groups in our neighbourhoods that we have not yet identified?

O How can we more accurately measure changes in participant’s confidence, quality of life and general well-being as the result of social contact and interaction?

O What activities are more effective and for whom?

O What roles can volunteers play in extending our programme and ensuring its sustainability?

O Involvement of project partnership in planning for sustainability