U.K.: 'Contact the Elderly Conference' In London Is About Reaching Isolated Older People

_______________________________________________ Contact the Elderly Conference: Reaching Isolated Older People At City Hall The Queen’s Walk, London, SE1 2AA, March 4, 2008 _______________________________________________ LONDON, England (Press Dispensary -Contact The Elderly), March 3, 2008: Contact the Elderly, the national charity which organises monthly Sunday teas for older people within a family setting, is holding a conference ‘Reaching Isolated Older People’ at London’s City Hall on March 4, 2008. The conference, which includes an opening address from Nicky Gavron, the deputy Mayor of London, will highlight the importance and benefits of community groups and organisations working together. It will present the key messages from the three year project, explore how partnerships can help reduce the isolation and loneliness experienced by so many older people, and promote the importance of social interaction in later life. A recent independent survey undertaken by Contact the Elderly provides strong evidence that an increasing number of frail older people have become socially excluded through circumstances of diminished health and family situation. Roderick Sime, director of Contact the Elderly, comments: “Even when an older person has been identified and included on welfare lists, resources are limited and loneliness is not considered a priority condition.” The charity’s Sunday social group activities for older people (aged 75 and over) are not only effective in reducing loneliness and isolation but have a positive impact upon general health and well-being. The charity revealed that 75% of its members surveyed said they felt more optimistic and cheerful as a result of joining a Contact the Elderly group. Sime continues: “Loneliness and social isolation play a pivotal role in older people’s well-being, affecting both physical and mental health. Sundays remain a particularly lonely day of the week, especially for older people living alone. The vital warmth of friendship for a few hours once a month means we can discreetly monitor the health and welfare of a very vulnerable section of the community.” Other key observations were that 82% of respondents felt they had something to look forward to during the week; 50% said their general health had improved as a result of the group; 26% said they had visited the doctor less often since joining the group; 65% had made new friends and 51% felt part of the community. The research was part of a wider three year project, funded by the Big Lottery Fund, to test and develop different models for setting up social groups for older people. Sime concludes: “Professionals involved with the care of older people acknowledge that our simple service plays an ever more important role in contributing to support other, often over-stretched, welfare services. The improved mental and physical health of such vulnerable people living alone helps to address key issues such as reduced hospitalisation, delays moves into care or nursing homes, and reduces depression precipitated by loneliness”. The conference will be held on March 4, 2008, from 2.30pm until 5.30pm at City Hall The Queen’s Walk, London, SE1 2AA. Registration to attend the conference takes place at 2pm. About The Organisers Contact the Elderly is a national charity which combats the acute loneliness often felt by older people over 75 who are frail and living alone. The charity offers a unique service, providing volunteer led private hospitality to older people aged 75 and over within a family environment. It helps to address the emotional needs of older people whose diminished mobility makes it impossible for them to maintain regular social contact. One Sunday a month over 320 volunteer groups collect over 3,000 older people from their homes and take them to a host’s house for tea, talk and companionship, providing regular vital fun, friendship and “a reason to dress up and know when we say goodbye, we’ll see each other again next month” Source: Press Dispensary, Brighton