Make way for the elderly! Combating social isolation and loneliness in old age
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Social isolation and loneliness may not be more prevalent in old age than in other life stages, but in the third and fourth age the risks of serious consequences associated with these conditions may be greater. The hypothesis is that the risk of experiencing loneliness depends on a decrease in personal control over one's life. CCA SUPSI's commitment to combating social isolation and loneliness among the elderly.
It is the paradox of the times in which we live: increasingly connected and interconnected but increasingly lonely. This is said by numerous studies on the issues of social isolation and loneliness, two concepts that should be distinguished in order to understand a social problem that is beginning to emerge as a collective plague. The figure of the elderly person cared for by loved ones until the end of his or her days in the warmth of his or her own home is giving way to a reality in which, increasingly often, one finds oneself facing the final stages of one's life alone or with few contacts.
Or at least that is what one would be led to believe. But here is a surprising fact according to studies on the subject: social isolation and loneliness are no more prevalent in old age than in other phases of life, but it is found that in the third and fourth ages the risks of serious consequences associated with these conditions may be greater.
Data from the 2017 Swiss Health Survey show that the social life of the elderly is livelier and more intense in the south of the Alps than in the rest of the country: in Ticino, two-thirds of the over-65s have weekly physical contact with their family members. When it comes to declaring one's sense of loneliness, however, the Ticino average is slightly higher than the national average, with about 10% of people aged 65 to 84 declaring that they feel lonely.
But perhaps the most interesting finding is that most elderly people do not feel a sense of loneliness because they are socially isolated. At SUPSI's Senior Citizens' Competence Centre, an attempt is being made to respond to this lack of correlation based on the hypothesis that the greatest risk of experiencing a feeling of loneliness depends on a decrease in personal control over one's life.
Health plays a central role. As a rule, the elderly person is happy to live alone and almost always prefers this to the possibility of moving to a home for the elderly, making it a principle of autonomy and independence because he is free to choose if, who and when to meet someone at any time in his life. When, however, this freedom is lacking because being alone is no longer a viable option for various reasons, isolation becomes an unbearable condition that often results in a feeling of loneliness, with serious consequences.
The question therefore arises as to what measures exist to counter social isolation and the feeling of loneliness that can result among the elderly. Stefano Cavalli, head of SUPSI's Centre for Elderly Competence, emphasises that 'Switzerland has an extensive system of services and institutions to assist the frail and dependent elderly, such as old people's homes, home care and support services of various kinds. By contrast, to date there are no collective solutions and no awareness or information campaigns to deal with isolation and loneliness'.
For some years now, SUPSI's CCA has made social isolation and loneliness in old age one of its priority themes. This commitment is realised through research, training courses and internship opportunities for Bachelor students and participation in a number of interdisciplinary research networks. One of these is AGE-INT, which aims to identify and share good practices at national and international level to tackle demographic change.
As part of this network, SUPSI researchers are working on a research project to map how many and which initiatives have been implemented in Switzerland and Ticino to promote the social inclusion of the elderly.
Stefano Cavalli continues: 'In Switzerland and Ticino there is no policy to tackle social isolation and loneliness among the elderly, but many initiatives flourish with this aim at local level. Sometimes they are initiatives promoted by a municipality, in other cases they are activities organised by associations. In both cases, they are activities which often do not have a great response outside their area of intervention. As part of the AGE-INT project, we are working on an inventory of good practices: at the national level, we have so far identified 150 of them (30 in Ticino) and for each one we are creating a card with the most important information useful for their effective cataloguing'.
This collection work was made possible by the involvement of all the cantons and the various sections of the Pro Senectute Foundation, which provided information and data on the realities that mobilise in favour of the social inclusion of the elderly in their territories of reference. Subsequently, a profile of these initiatives was drawn up by asking those responsible to answer a questionnaire and organising site visits.
Of the numerous initiatives proposed on the Ticino territory, three stand out.
The Mendrisio Senior Citizens Alone Service maintains contact with the over-70s living at home to prevent situations of isolation. They are offered an acquaintance meeting with a social worker, collected data on personal resources at home, and offered advice on the social services offered by the city. Afterwards, those who decide to take advantage of the service receive regular courtesy home visits from a neighbourhood agent, who will be able to identify particular needs of the person to be met with the support of other city and local services.
The neighbourhood concierges run by the Pro Senectute Foundation not only perform the typical tasks of a traditional building concierge (e.g. holding parcels, keys, etc.) but are also places for social gatherings and the promotion of solidarity initiatives. The concierges currently active in Ticino also act as organisers of integration measures for people on welfare benefits.
The social caretaker is a figure, created in the municipality of Cadenazzo, who goes to the homes of people - elderly or handicapped - to help them with their daily tasks and at the same time organises entertainment activities, communal lunches or outings not 'for' but 'with' people. The aim of this initiative is to keep them at home and reduce social isolation.
The AGE-INT project
The AGE-INT project aims to create networks and opportunities to deal effectively with demographic challenges. It is supported by the State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI) and focuses on four areas of activity: technologies for older people, prevention and treatment of dementia, working in retirement and social inclusion. The latter aspect is looked after by SUPSI's Centre of Expertise for the Elderly. Other academic project partners are the University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Eastern Switzerland OST, the Bern University of Applied Sciences and Arts and the University of Geneva.
For further information: https://age-int.ch/en.
Or at least that is what one would be led to believe. But here is a surprising fact according to studies on the subject: social isolation and loneliness are no more prevalent in old age than in other phases of life, but it is found that in the third and fourth ages the risks of serious consequences associated with these conditions may be greater.
Data from the 2017 Swiss Health Survey show that the social life of the elderly is livelier and more intense in the south of the Alps than in the rest of the country: in Ticino, two-thirds of the over-65s have weekly physical contact with their family members. When it comes to declaring one's sense of loneliness, however, the Ticino average is slightly higher than the national average, with about 10% of people aged 65 to 84 declaring that they feel lonely.
But perhaps the most interesting finding is that most elderly people do not feel a sense of loneliness because they are socially isolated. At SUPSI's Senior Citizens' Competence Centre, an attempt is being made to respond to this lack of correlation based on the hypothesis that the greatest risk of experiencing a feeling of loneliness depends on a decrease in personal control over one's life.
Health plays a central role. As a rule, the elderly person is happy to live alone and almost always prefers this to the possibility of moving to a home for the elderly, making it a principle of autonomy and independence because he is free to choose if, who and when to meet someone at any time in his life. When, however, this freedom is lacking because being alone is no longer a viable option for various reasons, isolation becomes an unbearable condition that often results in a feeling of loneliness, with serious consequences.
The question therefore arises as to what measures exist to counter social isolation and the feeling of loneliness that can result among the elderly. Stefano Cavalli, head of SUPSI's Centre for Elderly Competence, emphasises that 'Switzerland has an extensive system of services and institutions to assist the frail and dependent elderly, such as old people's homes, home care and support services of various kinds. By contrast, to date there are no collective solutions and no awareness or information campaigns to deal with isolation and loneliness'.
For some years now, SUPSI's CCA has made social isolation and loneliness in old age one of its priority themes. This commitment is realised through research, training courses and internship opportunities for Bachelor students and participation in a number of interdisciplinary research networks. One of these is AGE-INT, which aims to identify and share good practices at national and international level to tackle demographic change.
As part of this network, SUPSI researchers are working on a research project to map how many and which initiatives have been implemented in Switzerland and Ticino to promote the social inclusion of the elderly.
Stefano Cavalli continues: 'In Switzerland and Ticino there is no policy to tackle social isolation and loneliness among the elderly, but many initiatives flourish with this aim at local level. Sometimes they are initiatives promoted by a municipality, in other cases they are activities organised by associations. In both cases, they are activities which often do not have a great response outside their area of intervention. As part of the AGE-INT project, we are working on an inventory of good practices: at the national level, we have so far identified 150 of them (30 in Ticino) and for each one we are creating a card with the most important information useful for their effective cataloguing'.
This collection work was made possible by the involvement of all the cantons and the various sections of the Pro Senectute Foundation, which provided information and data on the realities that mobilise in favour of the social inclusion of the elderly in their territories of reference. Subsequently, a profile of these initiatives was drawn up by asking those responsible to answer a questionnaire and organising site visits.
Of the numerous initiatives proposed on the Ticino territory, three stand out.
The Mendrisio Senior Citizens Alone Service maintains contact with the over-70s living at home to prevent situations of isolation. They are offered an acquaintance meeting with a social worker, collected data on personal resources at home, and offered advice on the social services offered by the city. Afterwards, those who decide to take advantage of the service receive regular courtesy home visits from a neighbourhood agent, who will be able to identify particular needs of the person to be met with the support of other city and local services.
The neighbourhood concierges run by the Pro Senectute Foundation not only perform the typical tasks of a traditional building concierge (e.g. holding parcels, keys, etc.) but are also places for social gatherings and the promotion of solidarity initiatives. The concierges currently active in Ticino also act as organisers of integration measures for people on welfare benefits.
The social caretaker is a figure, created in the municipality of Cadenazzo, who goes to the homes of people - elderly or handicapped - to help them with their daily tasks and at the same time organises entertainment activities, communal lunches or outings not 'for' but 'with' people. The aim of this initiative is to keep them at home and reduce social isolation.
The AGE-INT project
The AGE-INT project aims to create networks and opportunities to deal effectively with demographic challenges. It is supported by the State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI) and focuses on four areas of activity: technologies for older people, prevention and treatment of dementia, working in retirement and social inclusion. The latter aspect is looked after by SUPSI's Centre of Expertise for the Elderly. Other academic project partners are the University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Eastern Switzerland OST, the Bern University of Applied Sciences and Arts and the University of Geneva.
For further information: https://age-int.ch/en.