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Abstract: Social isolation and loneliness are common experiences of ageing in rural communities. Policy responses and interventions for social isolation and loneliness in later life are shaped by sociocultural understandings of place, relationships and social interaction. This study examined how representations of rural community in Ireland influenced the focus, relationships and activities within a befriending intervention designed to tackle social isolation and loneliness. Through a qualitative case study conducted in 2014, the symbolic meaning of the intervention was explored using interviews and focus groups with participants (8 befriended, 11 befrienders and 3 community workers) from one befriending programme in rural Ireland. Reflected in the programme was a representation of a rural community in decline with concern for the impact on older people. There was a valuing of the traditional community defined by geographical place, perceptions of similarity among its members, and values of solidarity and mutual support. The befriending intervention represented a commitment to intra‐community solidarity and a desire by many for authentic befriending relationships that mirrored understandings of relationships within the traditional community. Identifying and alleviating social isolation and loneliness imply a set of normative values about community and the optimal social relationships within community. This paper proposes that there is a need to consider the role played by understandings of community in shaping context‐sensitive interventions to counter social isolation and loneliness in later life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is increasing policy recognition that the alleviation of social isolation and loneliness in older people should be prioritised. Recently, technology, such as telephone networks and the Internet, has received attention in supporting isolated and lonely older people. Despite lack of evidence, telephone befriending has been considered an effective low-level method to decrease loneliness among older people. This study evaluated the impact of a national befriending scheme for isolated and/or lonely older people, involving eight project sites across the UK 2007-2008. The purpose was to assess the impact of different models of telephone-based befriending services on older people's health and well-being. A mixed methods approach was used. This paper reports on the findings from 40 in-depth interviews with older service recipients. The most important finding was that the service helped older people to gain confidence, re-engage with the community and become socially active again. Three topics were identified: why older people valued the service, what impact it had made on their health and well-being and what they wanted from the service. In addition, nine subthemes emerged: life is worth living, gaining a sense of belonging, knowing they had a friend, a healthy mind is a healthy body, the alleviation of loneliness and anxiety, increased self-confidence, ordinary conversation, a trusted and reliable service, the future - giving something back. In conclusion, the findings present in-depth qualitative evidence of the impact of telephone befriending on older people's well-being. Befriending schemes provide low-cost means for socially isolated older people to become more confident and independent and develop a sense of self-respect potentially leading to increased participation and meaningful relationships. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many interventions to combat the social isolation of older adults are hardly effective because they ignore both the heterogeneity of the target group and the uniqueness of the individual experiences of social isolation. In order to be effective, interventions must meet the individual needs of specific clients. In this study, we aim to gain insight into the process in which professionals seek to understand how clients assess their situation, and what this means for the help they provide. We investigated how social workers in one‐to‐one guidance trajectories try to attune to the needs of the clients they accompany and what considerations they make in doing so. The study was conducted between 2014 and 2017 in the city of Rotterdam in the Netherlands. Participants were 20 social workers of 8 social work agencies who provided guidance to community‐dwelling older adults who have been isolated for a long time and have problems in multiple life domains. We analysed 36 research‐driven logbooks, written by the social workers, which contain case study descriptions with information about specific clients who belong to the target group of this study. We also interviewed the individual social workers and organised six focus groups with 8–12 of the participating social workers. Our findings make clear how social workers try to identify the needs of their clients and provide help that is tailored to their possibilities and ambitions. By giving recognition to the emotions and situations of their clients, and by practical problem‐solving, they build a relationship with the older adults in which adequate help is accepted. The professionals set modest goals; their guidance helps stabilise the existing situation and may also contribute to the self‐reliance of their clients. This knowledge will be highly valuable in the developing and implementation of programmes and interventions for this less‐researched group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]