Our Befriending Service offers a much-needed lifeline to older people in North East Lincolnshire who are lonely and isolated. It is recognised that loneliness can have a serious effect on people’s physical and mental health and can lead to depression, lack of confidence, low self-esteem and the withdrawal from social groups and activities.
Health Foundation research has shown that people over the age of 65 who live alone are 50% more likely to go to A&E than those who live with someone else and are also more likely to be admitted to hospital as an inpatient.
Our volunteer befrienders will carry out regular home visits to offer company and friendship to those who are primarily living on their own. We carefully match our volunteers to enable mutual interests and bonds are formed between the member and their befriender, therefore providing a sturdy basis on which friendship can blossom and grow.
The benefits of having someone to sit and talk to, share a trip to the garden centre, read a book or play a game of cards, can really make a significant difference to an older person’s well-being.
Health Foundation research also shows that around one in four elderly people living alone have a mental health condition, such as depression or anxiety, compared with one in five of those who live with a partner, friend, or family.
We also offer befriending in a residential home setting. It is apparent that although people are placed in residential care, some may still feel loneliness and isolation. We now have our volunteer befrienders who spend one-to one time with those who need it in several care homes within North East Lincolnshire.
More than 2 million people in England over the age of 75 live alone, and more than a million older people say they go over a month without speaking to a friend, neighbour or family member.