It takes a Village to Grow Old and Stay Healthy
14 July 2023
Most of us know the old saying ‘It takes a village to raise a child’ but the reality is that it also takes a village to stay healthy as we grow older.
Numerous studies world-wide have found that social isolation and loneliness are major risk factors for poor mental and physical health outcomes. The risk of premature death associated with social isolation and loneliness has been found to be similar to the risk of premature death associated with well-known risk factors such as obesity, based on research in Europe, North American, Asia and Australia (Holt-Lunstad et al. 2015).
In 2018, a Relationships Australia Study found that older people, particularly those aged 75 and up, are more likely to experience social isolation and loneliness than any other demographic. Since then, the COVID-19 pandemic, social distancing and lock down measures, have had a significant impact. The Australian Institute and Health and Welfare (Social Isolation and Loneliness Snapshot September 2021) revealed that just over half of Australians surveyed (54%) reported that they felt increased loneliness since the start of the pandemic.
Wentworth Healthcare, the provider of the Nepean Blue Mountains Primary Health Network, set out to tackle this issue in their region by piloting a Compassionate Communities approach. The Compassionate Community model was first trialled in the Frome Community in Somerset (UK) and recognises the importance of human connection, kindness and compassion to our overall health and wellbeing. Through this approach, the Frome community reduced their unplanned hospital admissions by 30%.
Wentworth Healthcare piloted the approach in the Hawkesbury community, which had been identified as an area of need within the region, with different aspects of the program expanding to other areas. The program focused on improving the social connections of people over 75 years, and over 65 years for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
Wentworth Healthcare CEO, Lizz Reay, said, “This innovative approach utilises an asset-based community development approach to focus on sustainable strategies and interventions for people experiencing, or at high risk of, mental and physical health conditions associated with social isolation or loneliness.”
“In order to be successful, it was important that this project be co-designed with the community,” said Ms Reay.
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