Loneliness has been identified as a major challenge for social work because of its significant impact on health and social care services, particularly for older people. It is linked to conditions like heart disease, stroke and Alzheimer's disease.
We caught up with Dr Catrin Noone from our Department of Sociology who has conducted research in this area. For her PhD, she worked with a day centre in the North East of England to explore their role in addressing loneliness experienced by older people.
What impact did you see of loneliness on people in the day centre?
We found that loneliness significantly reduced quality of life in old age, especially as many older people felt misunderstood by loved ones and professionals and even invisible in some cases.
This disconnect often led to feelings of distrust, making older people less willing to take social or physical risks. For example, some became more scared of falling or experiencing social rejection, which made them less willing to leave their homes on their own. We saw that loneliness affected each person differently, but was overwhelmingly negative, regardless of how many social connections they had.
As one of the day centre clients, Winifred, put it: "Loneliness is when people don't understand. When they don't understand how you feel… Loneliness, for all you have lots of friends, and I know it's true, you can still be very lonely. You still need somebody to talk to who's out of the circle, somebody who understands and that's very hard to find."
How did you conduct your research?
Over a period of just under two years, I worked collaboratively with my co-researchers, the day centre clients, carers, volunteers and staff to explore and understand their experiences. We used lots of different methods, such as Life Story Work, where people shared their life stories in their own words to capture meaningful memories and Walking Interviews, which allowed them to reflect on their lives while moving through familiar spaces.
What emerged was that the day centre served as more than just a "loneliness intervention". It was a lifeline where older people could form close, family-like relationships, re-learn skills, and share experiences.
As one client, Kyle, reflected: "[The manager] used to be the mother of the family. And the rest of them are all the siblings."
Our findings highlighted that the centre's true strength lay in fostering genuine connections rather than specifically "fixing" loneliness.
How do you think social workers could approach loneliness in older people?
Although the role of social workers in addressing loneliness is still evolving, they have a unique set of skills and professional values that could prove invaluable.
Social workers could adopt a person-led approach by mapping an older person's current and past social connections, identifying safe and meaningful spaces, exploring what they like to do, and addressing barriers like transportation. This approach would incorporate any specific care needs and facilitate referrals to other services when needed.
Understanding what works best for each older person and supporting them to engage in activities they enjoy is key. For example, as Tom reflected on his day centre experience, "I was greeted by very warm hospitality and a cup of coffee by Jen, I'll never forget. Two of us sitting down there, complete strangers, come from a different part of the city altogether, but nobody said, 'What are you doing here?' or anything."
These small, welcoming gestures can foster trust and create meaningful connections that help older people to lead more connected lives.
