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Centre for Policy on Ageing | |
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The use of telephone befriending in low level support for socially isolated older people
— an evaluation | | Author(s) | Mima Cattan, Nicola Kime, Anne-Marie Bagnall |
| Journal title | Health and Social Care in the Community, vol 19, no 2, March 2011 |
| Pages | pp 198-206 |
| Source | http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/bsc/hscc |
| Keywords | Loneliness ; Isolation ; Telephone ; Friendship ; Well being ; Evaluation. |
| Annotation | Telephone befriending schemes have long been considered an effective method to reduce loneliness among older people. This study investigated the impact of a national scheme for 40 isolated and lonely older people, involving eight project sites in the UK. It assessed the impact of different models of telephone-based befriending services on older people's health and well-being. Findings revealed that the service helped older people to gain confidence, re-engage with the community and become socially active again. Overall, three main topics were identified: why older people valued the service; what impact it had made on their health and well-being; and what they wanted from the service. Also, nine subtopics emerged: life is worth living; gaining a sense of belonging; knowing they had a friend; a healthy mind is a healthy body; the alleviation of loneliness and anxiety; increased self-confidence; ordinary conversation; a trusted and reliable service; the future, and giving something back. In conclusion, telephone befriending schemes for older people provide low-cost means for socially isolated older people to become more confident and independent and develop a sense of self-respect. (JL). |
| Accession Number | CPA-110627007 A |
| Classmark | DV: TP: UJ: DS:SX: D:F:5HH: 4C |
Data © Centre for Policy on Ageing |
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| ...from the Ageinfo database published by Centre for Policy on Ageing. |
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