ALONE welcome report on loneliness and ageing by the Institute of Public Health in Ireland
ALONE welcome report on loneliness and ageing by the Institute of Public Health in Ireland
Research suggests that approximately 10% of older people are affected by chronic or persistent loneliness
Dublin, 8th March 2016 ALONE today welcomes the publication of a report by the Institute of Public Health in Ireland, ‘Loneliness and Ageing: Ireland, North and South’.
CEO of ALONE, Sean Moynihan said, “The findings of this report show that 10% of older people suffer from chronic loneliness, adding to the growing evidence that loneliness has a serious impact on health and in particular, the health of older people. This study backs up previous evidence and also our own experience of operating our Befriending Service for older people. We also welcome the recommendations that chronic loneliness should be identified as a social health priority that services and initiatives should be established to tackle chronic loneliness and that evaluation and evidenced based interventions should be introduced.”
Moynihan continued, “We believe that befriending should complement mainstream health services and is vital to helping people remain independent in their own homes. ALONE’s Befriending Services provide companionship to older people who are socially isolated through a weekly volunteer visit. Every day, we witness how our Befriending Service makes a positive impact on both the older people and the volunteers.”
Moynihan concluded, “Quality is paramount when it comes to providing services to tackle loneliness. We are passionate in ALONE about ensuring that the services we deliver are to the highest standard. We are the only Befriending Service in the country to have an internationally recognised quality standard. We believe that every older person in Ireland should have access to a quality Befriending Service.”
ALONE hosts Befriending Network Ireland and currently provides support and training to almost 40 other befriending organisations across the country. For more information about ALONE’s Befriending Services or a service in your area please visit www.alone.ie
For those who have concerns about their own wellbeing, or the wellbeing of an older person in the community, ALONE can be contacted on (01) 679 1032.