New Age NI service launched to tackle loneliness in older people
A new service aimed at helping older people reconnect with the community after suffering bereavement, a hospital stay or moving house is being launched to tackle loneliness.
Run by charity Age NI, what’s described as a “short-term befriending service” comes as two out of every five people of pensionable age in Northern Ireland report feeling lonely often or on occasion.
Called ‘Enabling Connections’, it’s designed to help older people rebuild confidence, reconnect with their communities and regain independence following significant life events.
The programme will provide face-to-face support from trained volunteers to older people aged 50 and up, living in Belfast and across the Northern Health and Social Care Trust area.
The age group is held to be particularly vulnerable to loneliness following bereavement, illness, reduced mobility and major life changes, and the service is to help them take practical steps back into community life.
Support could include helping someone attend a community group for the first time, return to a favourite hobby, access local activities, or build new friendships.
Age NI states isolation can be particularly challenging for older people in both urban and rural communities, although the causes are often different. The new service helps them rebuild confidence to make new connections.
Says charity director Mandy Wilson: “Loneliness is one of the biggest challenges facing many older people in Northern Ireland.
“In rural communities, transport difficulties and distance from services can make it harder to stay connected; in urban areas, older people can be surrounded by people yet still feel deeply isolated after bereavement, ill-health or other significant life changes.”
More information on accessing the service or volunteering can be found at www.ageni.org/enablingconnections