Loneliness: Older People
(asked on 15th January 2020) - View Source
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to tackle social isolation in relation to elderly residents in (a) the City of York and (b) the UK.
The Government recognises that loneliness and social isolation can have a significant impact on the physical and mental health of older people.
The Government’s Loneliness Strategy ‘A connected society: A Strategy for tackling loneliness – laying the foundations for change’, published on 15 October 2018, acknowledged that tackling loneliness is complex and a long-term challenge, requiring action across many fronts. It brought together the Government, local government, public services, the voluntary and community sector and businesses to identify opportunities to tackle loneliness and build more integrated and resilient communities. The Loneliness Annual Report 2020, published on 20 January 2020, provides a progress update on the Loneliness Strategy.
Work in other areas can also help to tackle loneliness and social isolation. For example, the £11.5 million Building Connections Fund will see the Government working with a number of charitable trusts (these include several organisations in Yorkshire and The Humber), foundations, and others to support projects that are able to prevent or reduce loneliness amongst older people as well as other age groups. The full list of projects can be found at the following link:
Similarly, through the Ageing Society Grand Challenge, the Government will harness innovative products and services to help people remain healthy and independent for longer, continue to participate through work and within their communities, and stay connected to others.
The Government remains fully committed to working with others to combat loneliness and social isolation.