The Compassion Project is the lovely story of a small town in Somerset. Local people and healthcare professionals together created a community of kindness, where nobody felt lonely. The results achieved ground-shaking power (that if it came in tablet form) would be hailed a wonder of modern medicine.
Rather than focusing on obesity, smoking and drinking – they focused on creating supportive networks to build companionship and values into the network of everyone (helping with shopping, cooking, cleaning, looking after gardens and pets, providing lifts etc). From choirs to walking groups, from ‘shed groups’ to talking cafes. The result? When emergency admissions rose by 30% in the same county, they reduced by 15% in Frome, which reduced NHS costs by millions.
Creating Communities to Prevent Loneliness
Although many of us are quite happy with our own company a lot of the time, England is just one of many modern countries where millions of people feel isolated and depressed. But there is proof that loneliness leads to shorter lives. It’s a fact that in the ‘happiest countries’ (like Denmark), governments look after people from cradle to grave (no shame in claiming benefits and progressive maternity/paternity leave policies).
In his book Healthy at 100, John Robbins writes of the four longest-lived cultures on earth: the Andes of Chile, a Japanese Island and cultures in Pakistan and Russia. What’s interesting is that despite their differences, the results of why they all live so long are similar: pure food, no pollution, no rushing around, they all had faith (no-one knew what an atheist was). But his takeaway was that nobody’s lonely. When ailing relatives need to move in with a relative, not being chosen is seen as a sign of disgrace. Compare that with England, when if not going into a care home, many siblings fight it out NOT to be the one who is the caregiver. In many cultures, older people are seen as wise and being of value.
Today so many MPs campaign for ‘more hospital beds’. This is of course important. But the media never asks why so many are needed. Most countries in the Far East don’t have aisles of older people with dementia, arthritis, cancer or heart disease, waiting on trolleys in hospitals. Most stay fairly healthy until a ripe old, then get ill very quickly, and hav a quick peaceful death.death. Why is so different here?
One survey found that half a million people in the UK go almost a week without seeing or talking to anyone, with over half of people age 85 or over living alone saying the TV is their main company. And considering most TV these days is junk with people shouting drivel from the screen, it’s not much fun for them. Even nice programmes from yesterday like Watercolour Challenge have been turned into dog-eat-dog competition shows, without the lovely Hannah Gordon.
A Few Ideas for Inclusive Communities
NHS website is not very helpful, saying that if you feel depressed from loneliness, to phone 111, call the Samaritans or ‘go visit a park to see people’ (great if you have a park).
- Become a volunteer dog walker. Many older people have pets for company, but as their health fails they may not be able to give them the walks they need. Volunteers walk dogs and become a friend, and also perform other services like changing cat litter, being a ‘pet taxi’ and fostering animals, if guardians have to go into hospital.
- Friendly benches are like ‘modular sofas’, designed to encourage conversation. These mini-community gardens offer a meeting point for people to chat, connect with nature and build friendships. Many have flowers, so use pet-safe plants, to keep dogs safe).
- The Silver Line Helpline is a free telephone service for people over 60. Receive a 30-minute chat from a friendly chatterbox volunteer, at the same time each week. There are also group calls for older people who share a maritime or Royal Air Force background.
