Agenda item

A proposed model to identify lonely and isolated over 65 year old residents of Maidstone (includes Bereavement Services)

A report by Sarah Robson, Community Partnership Manager and Sarah Shearsmith, Community Development Team Leader.

 

Minutes:

The Chairman introduced Sarah Shearsmith, Community Development Team Leader, who presented the report in the absence of Sarah Robson, Community Partnership Manager.

 

Ms Shearsmith ran through the main points in the report and explained the:

 

·  Definition of Isolation;

·  Definition of Loneliness;

·  Maidstone age profile;

·  Impact of an aging population;

·  Outcomes Maidstone Borough Council are seeking; and,

·  Next steps.

 

During discussion the committee raised the following points:

 

·  A suggestion for the working party should include AgeUK, as an agency who was already providing many services to the elderly of the borough.

 

·  Ward councillors were very aware of the support and activities available to the elderly in their ward and would be a good source of information to help identify where there were potential gaps in the services provided.

 

·  The draft forms included in the report as Appendix C and D needed further work in terms of the wording to ensure respondents were fully aware of why they were being asked for the information.

 

·  The main difficulty in finding lonely and isolated people was they were lonely and isolated because they were not necessarily engaging in the services on offer.  The issue would be finding these people.

 

·  It was suggested the Quality of Life survey (appendix D) could be mailed out with the election information due to go out for the elections in May 2015.  This would deliver the survey to all residents of the borough.

 

·  The Wards identified in the report were those with the highest population of over 65 year olds and not necessarily the highest number of lonely and isolated people.

 

·  It was agreed that loneliness and isolation can affect any age group and was not just confined to the elderly.  It was pointed out that the working group had acknowledged this when scoping the review.  The working group had suggested the committee focus on a manageable area of the community to begin with and had identified the over 65 year olds of the borough.  The report suggested the evidence gathering exercise be piloted in High Street Ward.

 

·  It was agreed the services that would eventually been provided as a result of this work would not be restricted to the over 65 year olds.  It was envisaged interventions would include how to keep active in older age and would be open to all.

 

RESOLVED: that the committee noted the report and recommend that:

 

a.  The Community Development Team Leader investigate the possibility of the proposed Quality of Life survey (appendix D) being sent out to all borough residents with the mail shots going out on the run up to the General Election in May 2015.

 

b.  The Community Development Team Leader establish what services are already being provided by other agencies, such as, AgeUK, Voluntary Action Maidstone, Older Peoples’ Forum, and ask these agencies for their help in identifying the ‘unknown’ lonely and isolated over 65 year old people of the borough,

 

 

Supporting documents: