Helping to reduce loneliness amongst residents

This week is Loneliness Awareness Week, which aims to shed light on the impact loneliness can have on people of all ages. Campaign to End Loneliness estimates that around 45% of adults feel lonely, ranging from just occasionally to quite often. This means 25 million of us feel that way at some point.

Half a million older people in society can go up to six days a week without any contact or interaction with another human, and two fifths of older people cite television as being their main source of company.

Here at Ardtully, we are only too aware of the impact loneliness can have on the older population, and we take measures to reduce this as much as we can.

Understanding the impact of loneliness on mental health

Loneliness is linked to an increased risk of depression, anxiety, cognitive decline, and even physical health problems. For some people living in care homes, the risk of loneliness can be higher, as they may have limited social interactions. This is why we actively encourage socialising and arrange activities that our residents can get involved with, widening their friendship groups.

Creating a supportive and inclusive environment

Ardtully residents are invited to be part of a community, which involves us creating a supportive environment to enable social interactions. It doesn’t stop at interaction within the care home – it’s important to keep in touch with the wider community. Working collaboratively with schools and volunteer organisations can have massive benefits for residents, particularly for those with dementia and memory problems.

Tailored care underpinned with emotional support

No two residents are the same, and everyone has different ways in which they’d like to interact with others. By creating personalised care for each resident, we’re able to encourage socialisation in a way that suits them. We actively listen and talk to our residents to understand their needs, particularly looking out for those that seem to be experiencing isolation and loneliness.

Staying in touch with family and friends

We believe that care home staff can play a pivotal role in facilitating meaningful connections between residents. In addition, it’s important for staff to encourage and enable easy communication with family members, be it in person or virtually. Sometimes it’s not possible for family members to regularly visit those in care, so video calls and phone calls are essential to keep family connected. For those that struggle to operate technology, we’re on hand to help them and facilitate these important connections.

Ardtully believes that Loneliness Awareness Week should serve as a friendly reminder of the struggles some elderly people experience and how everyone can make a difference by a couple of simple acts of compassion.