Enfield Over 50s Forum A pilot project to locate and engage with lonely and isolated over 65s living within 3 Enfield wards. The identification phase was funded by Enfield Council and engagement phase by Awards for All. Tony Watts Friday 8 June 2018

Our activities include: Enfield Over 50s Forum Ours is one of the largest Forums in the country with 6000 members, 70 affiliated organisations and virtually self funded. Our activities include: A bimonthly newsletter Fortnightly eNews 3 meetings each month Extensive social programme – holidays, trips, lunches, dinners, walks, conferences, winter fairs, falls prevention events, etc Campaigning Representation on local committees: NHS, PPGs, etc. 3 Part-time staff plus volunteer supporters

Loneliness and isolation You will have heard speakers at this conference emphasise that living alone can increase the likelihood that an older person feels isolated in their community. This was reiterated in Enfield’s JSNA which endorsed that loneliness and social isolation have been shown to have significant negative impacts on people’s health status with corresponding increased demands on the NHS and social services.

Why did Enfield Over 50s Forum undertake this project? The Campaign to End Loneliness efforts has raised public awareness of the problem of isolation. However in searching the literature in 2016 we found little published work on how to identify and engage with older people who are lonely and isolated. We therefore approached and obtained funding for a pilot project to seek out lonely and isolated over 65s in three Enfield wards.

The Forum’s approach Council’s super output maps showed areas where there were concentrations of over 65s at risk of being lonely. The electoral register was used to search out single occupancy dwellings in the streets in those areas. The 192 service was used to narrow down the list to over 65s only. Those identified on the list were written to and asked (1) if they were living alone, (2) considered themselves lonely and (3) wished to take up an offer of free membership of the Forum for 2 years. Those that signed up then received regular communications from the Forum with the option of attending special events, regular drop-ins and meetings.

A quick demonstration And then Over to you Table I gives the population and housing situation with the 3 wards based on the 2011 census. Ward Number of Dwellings Population Over 65s as a percentage Number of over 65s Single Person Households Chase 5640 14112 14 1974 1703 Lock 6325 17810 8 1424 Turkey Street 5328 14900 12 1788 1368 Totals 17293 46822 5186 4774 A quick demonstration And then Over to you

Outcome A team of Forum volunteers located addresses of 1661 older people living alone within the 3 wards (approximately one third of the total single over 65s in the 3 wards) Personalised letters offering free membership of the Forum until March 2017 were sent out by the Council to 1661 older people. As a result of the invites 85 older people took up the membership offer. Following this they participated in various Forum activities including meetings, special social events, drop-in sessions and Forum social events.

Project evaluation April 2017 95% found the newsletter information useful 17% had attended meetings. 41% had attended one or more socials. 17% had attended outside events advertised in the newsletter. 24% were in receipt of our eNews. 22% were now attending Forum fitness days at the leisure centres. 78% had continued as Forum members after the project finished.

Conclusions Out of the 1661 older people identified as living alone within the super output catchment areas, 85 people claimed they were lonely and were given free membership of our Forum for 2 years. The majority subsequently continued as subscribing members. The project identification phase cost £9000 The project special events phase cost £9000 Locating lonely and isolated older people in the community is difficult. Engaging with such lonely and isolated individuals is costly even when using volunteers. Can the costs of prevention be justified by potential savings by the NHS and Social Services?