Older & Connected Report

Building Social Connections Locally with Older People

4Cs is part of the Sydney Community Collaborative, a partnership between Inner Sydney Voice (ISV), Canterbury City Community Centre (4Cs), Ethnic Community Services (ECS), Newtown Neighbourhood Centre (NNC), and The Junction Neighbourhood Centre (JNC) working together to address social isolation and loneliness among older people in Sydney.

Today, the Collaborative has released Older and Connected, a report by Michael Fine and Bob Davidson that examines the growing impacts of social isolation and loneliness on older people. The report finds that:

• Older people remain a major and distinct group at risk of social isolation and loneliness.
• The growth of isolation has significant effects on health, wellbeing, social cohesion and government expenditure.
• Improving local social connections can delay or reduce the need for costly aged care and health services.
• Action is needed on two fronts – for those supported through the Commonwealth Home Support Program (CHSP) and for the 70% of older people who are not in the formal aged care system.
• Local community organisations are central to building neighbourhood-level systems of support.
  

The report calls for coordinated action from all levels of government to strengthen local responses and invest in community-led solutions.

Read Report here