How does this impact on Community Wellbeing? Loneliness and isolation in our communities is a sad and avoidable reality for way too many people. Many people are living lives where they can go for long periods of time with no human contact, or with only sporadic contact with a professional person like a carer or GP for a very short time. This is true for people living in the midst of communities, people living in isolated places geographically, people who are isolated because of poverty, mental health issues, bullying, unemployment, illness, gender based violence, caring responsibilities themselves, or other vulnerabilities including age related issues, illness and disabilities. People are also isolated when living in care homes where often the only interactions are with staff who do not have time to befriend, listen, chat - but can only engage in that pressured environment through delivering physical care. Creating new ways to connect isolated people with others who have time and respectful, safe friendship to offer is possible. Why should the Committee focus on this as part of their future work? The nurturance of well-being in human beings is fundamentally dependent on access to positive human relationships. On being seen and cared about by others and belonging to our human family through friendships and access to ‘family’, community engagement and person centred, dignity promoting inclusion in social networks and life. Loneliness through social abandonment is at epidemic levels and this has been driven by many economic decisions and attending pressures & in turn creating more.
This content is created by the open source Your Priorities citizen engagement platform designed by the non profit Citizens Foundation