Exploring loneliness, connections and stronger neighbourhoods
The issue of loneliness was identified as an important theme for further exploration in a consultation carried out by the Ageing Well Partnership.
With support of a Tackling Health Inequalities grant, the Partnership set out to better understand loneliness and isolation, also asking what helps people to connect, reconnect and to stay connected with others!
In February 2025, Beth Johnson Foundation staff facilitated five discussion sessions across North Staffordshire where they asked older people about loneliness, how it impacted on health and what needed to be done to make things better.
A month later, the Ageing Well Partnership launched a survey to explore older people’s views and ideas on loneliness which was circulated by members of the Ageing Well Partnership and shared online.
Almost 400 people took part in the consultation, with more than half of survey participants indicating that they lacked companionship, felt left out and isolated. A report, published in July 2025, showed that many participants felt life changes such as retirement, ageing or decline had a role in the onset of loneliness.
Personal ill health, mobility issues, tiredness, caring for others and general frailty were identified as factors causing disconnection and loneliness and making people feel like they were a nuisance to others.
Some people in the group sessions described how their experience had caused their mental health to decline, and increased feeling of depression. Physical health decline was also identified as being linked with loneliness, highlighting how loneliness is an holistic health problem.
The consultation also highlighted that the older people get, the greater potential for loneliness becomes.
Sue Read, Chair of the Ageing Well Partnership said: “The report shows we still have a lot to do in supporting and helping our older community members to maintain better connections and feel less lonely.
“Many people discussed how loneliness made them question themselves, leading to a loss of trust in their judgments and losing their sense of purpose.”
However, many people also recognised the importance of community participation or connection on their wellbeing and for reducing loneliness.
The consultation also found that community services and groups and good neighbours were key factors to combatting loneliness.
Being able to have people to ring and talk to is an important part of wellbeing, as many of participants talked about how they got in touch with befrienders and tried to call family as much as they can. Pets as companions were also useful.
Some people highlighted that Amazon Alexa and Siri were useful tools to ask questions of or set up their music and radio.
The report includes a list of 7 recommendations which are now informing discussions and actions to be taken by the Ageing Well Partnership.
Sue added: “Our findings show that loneliness is personal. For some it is tied to the loss of a loved one and being physically isolated in their own homes. For others it is the disconnect they feel in group settings and feeling unheard and excluded can cause a great deal of sadness and made people feel they couldn’t ask for help”
“We want health and social care professionals to be aware of the findings of the consultation and to recognise what they can do to help.”
“Support for loneliness doesn’t always have to be expensive but we need service providers to be thoughtful and proactive in what they can offer.”