Eamon Timmins, Chief Executive

Responding to Isolation and Loneliness: Housing and Community Perspectives

November 26 , 2015

A wake-up call

A hidden problem

• Official statistics

• SVP Commission on Older People

• Where are all the lonely people?

Why is this such an issue?

• Not unique to older people

• But some factors add to the problem among older people

Why should we worry?

Risk factors in an early death:

•Obesity (20%)

•Air pollution (5%)

•Excessive drinking (30%)

•Loneliness (45%)

What’s the solution?

• Charities will fix it, providing visits, accommodation, activities, and classes

• Govt intervention

What’s Age Action doing?

• Care and Repair – 29,000 jobs this year

• Computer classes – 3,000 older people trained this year

. . . Age Action’s work

• Advocacy groups

• Life-long learning groups – 17 across Ireland

• BUT IS THIS ENOUGH?

YOU are part of the solution

• Loneliness and social isolation are society issues;

• Promote inclusion and awareness.

Do older people have a role?

• Prof John Cacioppo: “part of the biological warning system”

• Recognise the signal, understand and respond

Thanks!

• 30/31 Lower Camden Street, Dublin 2

• Tel 01 4756989

• ceo@ageaction.ie

• Website: www.ageaction.ie

• www.facebook.com/AgeActionIreland

• www.Twitter.com/ageaction

Waterford contact details

• Care and Repair: Waterford Area Partnership 051-844844

• Getting Started computer classes:

021-4536554 email gettingstartedcork@ageaction.ie

• Life-long learning groups: Waterford city Josephine Murphy 051-871037, jo1murphy7@gmail.com; Tramore Mollie Hunt milliehunt@eircom.net