Loneliness in the elderly: how to help

There are lots of ways you can do your bit to help lonely or socially isolated elderly people in your community. The person you're helping will reap health benefits, and you'll find you will as well.

Useful resources

Volunteering for an organisation that supports older people is a key way of helping a lonely or socially isolated older person. But a simple friendly chat or phone call can make all the difference, too.

Evidence suggests giving your time in this way could be as valuable to you as the person you support. It's likely to boost your self-esteem and sense of purpose. And helping others takes your mind off your own problems for a while.

Read about how helping others can be incredibly rewarding.

Start a conversation

It's not always easy to know who or how to help. A good start is simply to stop and talk to an elderly neighbour if you pass them on the street.

If you think an older person may have trouble hearing or has memory problems make sure to speak clearly (but don't shout!).

Pause between sentences and questions to give them chance to digest the information. And allow a little extra time for them to respond - don't hurry them.

Offer practical help

Do you know an older person who lives alone, rarely leaves the house, has recently suffered a bereavement, is in poor health, disabled, has sight or hearing loss, or doesn't seem to have close family living nearby?

Ask them if they need any help with tasks such as shopping, posting letters, picking up prescriptions and medicines or dog-walking.

Offer to accompany them or give them a lift to, activities or doctors' and hospital appointments, the library, hairdressers or faith services.

Share your time

Volunteer for organisations that support older people. These often offer "befriending" schemes for isolated elderly people, and rely on volunteers for one-to-one contact as a telephone "buddy", visitor or driver, or hosting social events for groups.

Your contribution could be as simple as a weekly telephone call to an isolated older person, or extend to regular home visits for a chat and to help with shopping and so on, driving an elderly person to a social event, or even hosting coffee mornings for groups of elderly people.

You can find more information on befriending an older person from these organisations:

• Age UK has a network of local Age UK groups across the country that have opportunities for you to become either an Active Buddy, who helps someone become more physically active, a Befriender, who visits someone who lives alone, or a day centre helper.
• Community Network is looking for volunteers to run one-hour phone chat groups.
• Contact the Elderly holds monthly Sunday afternoon tea parties for over-75s and needs volunteer drivers and hosts.
• Friends of the Elderly needs volunteers to help with its day centres, telephone befriending groups and coffee mornings in sheltered housing schemes, and get involved in its Be a Friend campaign.
• Independent Age will match you to an older person who you can then drop in on regularly for a coffee and a chat.
• Royal Voluntary Service wants volunteers who can help an older person with little tasks, such as doing their shopping and taking their dog for a walk, or delivering meals.
• The Silver Line needs people to help man this new helpline for older people.

Help with household tasks

Getting older can make it hard to tackle even simple jobs around the house and older people often really appreciate any offer of help with basic chores such as taking out the rubbish, changing light bulbs, fastening sash windows, clearing snow off the path, putting up pictures and so on.

Share a meal

Older, isolated people often need a hand cooking for themselves, so why not take round an extra plate of hot home-cooked food, or a frozen portion they can heat up or microwave?As well as being practical, it's a nice way to share your time with a neighbour.

Try to provide the meal in a container that you don't need back - it's hard work for both of you to keep track of serving bowls.

Here are some quick and easy recipes for delicious winter-warming meals.

The Casserole Club is a project that connects people who like to cook and are happy to share an extra portion of a delicious home-cooked meal with older neighbours living close by who could really benefit from a hot, cooked meal.

Watch for signs of winter illness

Older people are particularly vulnerable during the winter as cold weather increases their risk of illnesses such as colds, coughs, flu, heart attacks, strokes, breathing problems and hypothermia (a dangerous fall in body temperature).

Check (ideally in October before winter sets in) if they've had a free flu jab and, if not, offer to make an appointment at the GP surgery.

Look out for signs of serious illness, such as drowsiness, slurred speech and the person not complaining of feeling cold even in a bitterly cold room.

Read about ways to keep warm and well.

If you're worried, ask if there's a relative or close friend you can phone, or call the doctor or NHS 111. You could also contact your local council or ring the Age UK helpline on Freephone 0800 009 966.

Find out how to spot and treat hypothermia.

Read about 10 winter illnesses that are triggered or worsened by cold weather.

Read more government advice on the practical steps you can take to get ready for winter.

Useful resources

If you suspect your parents are lonely, read the When They Get Older website's loneliness guide.

Mind's guide on how to cope with loneliness has advice on how to help someone you know who's lonely.

Read about how volunteering is good for your health.

Get more ideas for how to volunteer in your area.

Loneliness in older people

Older people are especially vulnerable to loneliness and social isolation – and it can have a serious effect on health. But there are ways to overcome loneliness, even if you live alone and find it hard to get out.

Useful resources

• For further info download Mind’s ‘How to Cope with Loneliness’ booklet.
• Royal Voluntary Service's Guide: Feeling Well and Overcoming Loneliness (PDF, 235kb)

Hundreds of thousands of elderly people are lonely and cut off from society in this country, especially those over the age of 75.

According to Age UK, more than 2 million people in England over the age of 75 live alone, and more than a million older people say they go for over a month without speaking to a friend, neighbour or family member.

People can become socially isolated for a variety of reasons, such as getting older or weaker, no longer being the hub of their family, leaving the workplace, the deaths of spouses and friends, or through disability or illness.

Whatever the cause, it's shockingly easy to be left feeling alone and vulnerable, which can lead to depression and a serious decline in physical health and wellbeing.

Someone who is lonely probably also finds it hard to reach out. There is a stigma surrounding loneliness, and older people tend not to ask for help because they have too much pride.

It's important to remember loneliness can – and does – affect anyone, of any age. Here are ways for older people to connect with others and feel useful and appreciated again.

Smile, even if it feels hard

Grab every chance to smile at others or begin a conversation – for instance, with the cashier at the shop or the person next to you in the GP waiting room. If you're shy or not sure what to say, try asking people about themselves.

Invite friends for tea

If you're feeling down and alone, it's tempting to think nobody wants to visit you. But often friends, family and neighbours will appreciate receiving an invitation to come and spend some time with you.

If you would prefer for someone else to host, Contact the Elderly is a charity that holds regular free Sunday afternoon tea parties for people over the age of 75 who live alone. You will be collected from your home and driven to a volunteer host's home for the afternoon. Apply online or call Contact the Elderly on 0800 716 543.

Keep in touch by phone

Having a chat with a friend or relative over the phone can be the next best thing to being with them. Or you can call The Silver Line, a helpline for older people set up by Esther Rantzen, on 0800 4 70 80 90.

You can also call Independent Age on 0800 319 6789, Age UK on 0800 169 2081, or Friends of the Elderly on 020 7730 8263 to receive a weekly or fortnightly friendship call from a volunteer who enjoys talking to older people.

Community Network brings people together on the phone each week. To join or start a telephone group, call 020 7923 5250.

Learn to love computers

If your friends and family live far away, a good way to stay in touch, especially with grandchildren, is by using a personal computer or tablet (a handheld computer).

You can share emails and photos with family and friends, have free video chats using services such as Skype, FaceTime or Viber, and make new online "friends" or reconnect with old friends on social media sites such as Facebook or Twitter and website forums.

A tablet computer can be especially useful if you can't get around very easily, as you can sit with it on your knee or close to hand and the screen is clear and bright. A sponge-tip stylus pen or speech recognition may help if the touchscreen is difficult for arthritic hands or fingers with poor circulation.

Libraries and community centres often hold regular training courses for older people to learn basic computer skills – as well as being a good place to meet and spend time with others in their own right.

Local branches of Age UK run classes in computing to help older people get to grips with smartphones, tablet computers and email.

Get some tips and advice on how to become more confident using the internet, including how to access your GP surgery online and how to look for reliable online health information.

You can find somewhere local to take free or low-cost computer courses through UK Online Centres.

Get involved in local community activities

These will vary according to where you live, but the chances are you'll have access to a singing or walking group, book clubs, bridge, bingo, quiz nights and faith groups.

Not to mention local branches of regional and national organisations that hold social events, such as the Women's Institute, Rotary, Contact the Elderly, and Brendoncare clubs in the south of England. The Silver Line helpline (0800 470 8090) can let you know what's going on in your local area.

Fill your diary

It can help you feel less lonely if you plan the week ahead and put things in your diary to look forward to each day, such as a walk in the park, going to a local coffee shop, library, sports centre, cinema or museum.

Independent Age has published a guide about what to do if you're feeling lonely, which includes tips about activities you could try. Download If you're feeling lonely - how to stay connected in older age (PDF, 2.97Mb) or order a free print copy by calling 0800 319 6789, or email advice@independentage.org.

Get out and about

Don't wait for people to come and see you – travel to visit them.

One advantage of being older is that public transport is better value. Local bus travel is free for older people across England. The age at which you can apply for your free bus pass depends on when you were born and where you live. Contact your local authority for more information on how to apply.

Use this State Pension calculator to find out the exact date when you can apply for your free bus pass.

For longer distances, train and coach travel can be cheap, too, especially if you book in advance online and use a Senior Railcard.

The Royal Voluntary Service can put you in touch with volunteers who provide free transport for older people with mobility issues or who live in rural areas with limited public transport.

Help others

Use the knowledge and experience you've gained over a lifetime to give something back to your community. You'll get lots back in return, such as new skills and confidence – and, hopefully, some new friends, too.

There are endless volunteering opportunities that relish the qualities and skills of older people, such as patience, experience and calmness. Examples are Home-Start, Sure Start, helping in a local charity shop or hospital, Citizens Advice, and school reading programmes.

Find out how to volunteer in your area on the Volunteering England website.

Read more about how to get started as a volunteer.

Join the University of the Third Age

The University of the Third Age (U3A) operates in many areas, offering older people the chance to learn or do something new.

Run by volunteers, U3A has no exams. Instead, it gives you the chance to do, play or learn something you may never have done before, or something you've not considered since your school days. U3A is also a great place to meet people and make new friends.

Find your nearest U3A online.

'I think everyone should volunteer'

Medical student Andrew Tindall shares his experiences volunteering in a retirement home, where many of the elderly residents have dementia.

My voluntary work

"I volunteer at a retirement home every Sunday for two hours, from 11am to 1pm. When I arrive, the residents are still getting up and coming into the lounge, where I chat to them and make sure they're happy and comfortable. Not many can make conversation, so making cups of tea and checking they're warm enough is the main priority.

"I'll then go and visit the residents who can't leave their rooms, and make sure they're having a good morning or alert the nurses if there's something wrong. If the nurses want anything doing, I try to make their job a bit easier – for example, collecting people from their rooms in their wheelchairs and taking them to where they need to be.

"At lunchtime I bring them to the dining room, where I hand out tea and lunch, and help them eat, cutting up their food, chatting and generally just trying to make them have a better Sunday. Normally, families visit later in the day, but some people don't have any family, so it's good for them to feel like someone is still there for them.

"I admit I have a few favourite residents! One of them – May – asks my name every time I visit, and we get on brilliantly. She tells me the same stuff every week! She wasn't always like that, she used to remember me, but she's not very well at the moment."

Why I volunteer

"I started volunteering at the retirement home while on a three-month placement as part of the Duke of Edinburgh's Award (DofE) scheme. Some people doing DofE choose to volunteer in charity shops, but as I want to go into medicine, I thought it would be a great idea to get more hands-on experience for my CV.

"When the placement ended, I decided to continue. I've been doing it for a year now and I want to carry on until I leave to go to university. I really get a buzz from helping the residents, many of whom need a lot of care, and patient interaction is something I look forward to when I'm older."

What I've learnt about dementia and ageing

"I've learnt how dementia affects people and how to deal with it. People joke about dementia being about forgetting stuff, but it's more than that – it affects people physically, too.

"With the residents I talk to who are affected, some are deaf, none can hear very well, and some might seem like they're not very with it. But they do know what's happening and they'll know when you're treating them differently. They don't turn daft, so I just treat them normally. The worst thing is for them to become depressed. When that happens, you need to keep positive; talk about how great the day is and how bright it is outside.

"I've learnt how to talk to them in a way that's appreciated, to take their mind off things for a while. I've got better at it. I can now be in a room with somebody and have a good chat with them for an hour without them realising that I'm desperately trying to get conversation out of them.

"The ones well enough to chat mostly seem to enjoy reliving the past – the good old days! It's amazing to hear about the powerful jobs they've had. It's good to talk to them. They've had so much experience and, without being too clichéd, we can learn something from them.

"Given that everyone is living longer, there's going to be a lot more old people around and using the NHS. We should become more comfortable with their needs and not leave them in a corner and forget about them."

Volunteering can be challenging

"It can be hard in some situations. For example, before I went on The Apprentice [Andrew was a semi-finalist in the BBC Young Apprentice 2012], there was this lovely married couple at the home who did everything together. We'd take them for a stroll together in their wheelchairs, they'd always sit together and have lunch together.

"When I came back after filming, the lady was sitting on her own and I found out from another resident that her husband had died. She has some form of dementia, and every day she asks where her husband is, which is horrible.

“You can't mince your words. I've learnt how to tell this woman that her husband's in a better place: 'in the stars'. I'm quite an emotional person, but I try to follow the example of the nurses in how to connect with people, but not become so attached that I become totally distraught when they die, which is an important skill to pick up in medicine. I admire the nurses and how they can do that."

I'd recommend volunteering to anyone

"Volunteering enhances you as a person. I think everyone should do it, even if it's just an hour a week. It's something different to do – to take your mind off things, and it gives you perspective on life. Also, if you have grandparents who are ill, you'd want someone like yourself or me to be there to talk to them, to make sure they're happy. It improves the quality of their care.

"The care I've seen is brilliant – the nurses couldn't do any more, but what could help improve the quality of care is to have more people around to talk to patients, because it really helps.

"If you're in college and want to go into medicine, this is a great way to get experience and fantastic to put on your CV. Wherever you volunteer, they will appreciate it. My mum's always drilled into me how important it is to help people, even if you don't have a lot of time. It's the percentage of time you can give that's important."

Getting a placement

"To get a volunteering placement, you've got to show an interest and tell them why you want to do it. There might be some hoops to jump through. I approached the retirement home because a friend of my mum's worked there, but I still had to go to meet them and then have a CRB check [now called a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check] before I could start. I'm also helping primary school children with their computer literacy through my college, so I'm volunteering with people of all ages. You just have to go out and ask.

"I've been an outgoing person all my life, but volunteering has enhanced my people skills no end, which has contributed to who I am as a person. It probably helped me when I was on The Apprentice too, even though it was a very different experience!

"You meet such a wide variety of brilliant, honest people when volunteering, and the more circumstances you can throw yourself into, the better a person you'll become."

For more information on how to help older people, contact the Royal Voluntary Service.

Volunteering for Crisis at Christmas

Crisis at Christmas centres, organised by the charity Crisis, are safe and warm places where homeless people can spend the festive period. Volunteer Victoria Hunt describes her first shift in December 2013.

I'd heard from volunteering friends that Crisis at Christmas was a fantastic project supporting homeless men and women every year.

With support from more than 10,000 volunteers, homeless guests can enjoy hot food, a shower, a haircut, clean clothing and clothing repair at the centres. They can also access services including general healthcare, a dentist and physiotherapy.

Most people who sign up for Crisis at Christmas – ideally volunteers do a minimum of two eight-hour shifts – will be general volunteers, and take their instructions from more seasoned volunteers known as key volunteers.

Then there are the activities, entertainments and community partnership volunteers. These can range from hosting arts and craft classes and dance and fitness sessions, to giving lectures on a range of subjects or running lively karaoke sessions, and much more.

Organisations such as Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous also come in to provide support for guests.

What to take on your first shift

Sign up with a friend

My sister and I signed up on the spur of the moment as general volunteers on one of the last available eight-hour shifts.

I was impressed at how flexible the organisation was, that they were happy to take us with just a day's notice, and at how straightforward the sign-up process for Crisis at Christmas was.

The website even had the facility to sign up with a friend – by giving your friend's reference number, you can apply to work on the same shift together.

We were allocated places at The Gate, one of the few centres in London that provides overnight accommodation for its guests. The Gate is also one of the few centres that allows alcohol.

We were warned that as a result we might be more likely to encounter antisocial behaviour, and because we had one of the last shifts, the guests might be feeling emotional at the thought of having to return to the streets the following day.

It was a bleak picture and we were apprehensive, but we knew we could count on each other for support if necessary.

The eight-hour Crisis shift

We arrived promptly at the start of our 3pm shift and were signed in at reception and presented with our badges. The centre changes location every year – this time it was located in an old office block that was due to be torn down.

Thanks to the enthusiasm and creativity of earlier volunteers, the building had been transformed from a dilapidated site to a warm and vibrant venue filled with colourful murals and welcoming signs.

We were taken through an induction process that included a talk on health and safety, which included advice on what to do with any used needles we encountered, a run-through of the services on offer that day, and a rough timetable.

After a quick tour of the sleeping areas, activity areas, cafe and dining room, we were set to work on the clothing donations.

An appeal to volunteers earlier in the week led to a late surge of donations, all of which had to be sorted and discreetly distributed to the guests judged to be most in need, which was both logistically and emotionally challenging.

While there was a good supply of coats, shirts and T-shirts, we noticed there weren't nearly enough shoes, trainers and boots to meet demand.

Popular but in short supply were rucksacks and sleeping bags, too. As well as clothing donations, volunteers were also encouraged to bring snack offerings to put in the cafe.

At 8pm we had a break and, with all the guests and volunteers, were given a nutritious meal in the dining room, also cooked by volunteers.

Afterwards we were stationed supervising the area by the shift office, and had a long and interesting chat with an older guest who drew up a chair alongside. He seemed calm and content after a week of being cared for, and was very positive about his time with Crisis.

Other volunteers played board games with guests and gently pointed them in the direction of the advice services on offer.

We had been advised to dress informally for the shift, and as such there were times when the only way we could tell who was a volunteer was to look for an identity badge.

It soon became clear from the range of characters we met that homelessness can happen to almost anyone. It was great to hear that some of the volunteers were themselves former guests whose circumstances had improved so much that they wanted to come back to support others.

What to take to your Crisis shift

I'd recommend taking the following to your first shift:

• packets of biscuits, chocolate or other snacks to donate to the Crisis cafe for guests and volunteers
• any clothing donations, especially boots, trainers, backpacks and waterproof coats
• a pen and small notepad to make notes during the induction or when you're being briefed for a task

Crisis success stories

Crisis Skylight

Although its Christmas project can be seen as its flagship volunteer programme, Crisis provides volunteering opportunities supporting homeless people all year round through its Crisis Skylight programme.

Crisis Skylight are education, training and employment centres, offering practical and creative workshops along with formal learning opportunities that can lead to qualifications and finding work.

We finished our shift with a debrief from the key volunteers. We were thanked for our help and informed about the success stories of the week, which included helping some guests find more permanent accommodation and putting others back in touch with their families.

The eight hours passed quickly. It was reassuring to see how much the guests appeared to have benefited from the project.

Although the programme only lasted a week, it was possible to see how seeds for real change were planted in that time and would likely bear fruit in the year to come. I definitely plan to return – it was a great introduction to volunteering.

Rachael Smith, deputy head of Crisis at Christmas, said: "This year's Crisis at Christmas was bigger than ever, with close to 4,500 guests welcomed for good food, good company and access to vital services at our centres in London, Newcastle and Edinburgh.

"This was made possible by our incredible team of volunteers, whose generosity and commitment brought some much-needed relief to those for whom Christmas can be the hardest time of all. With homelessness rising, sadly their support is more important than ever."

For more volunteering opportunities, visit:

• Find a volunteering opportunity at Do-It
• Volunteering Matters
• NCVO
• Royal Voluntary Service: together for older people

How to volunteer

Volunteering is a rewarding way to use your spare time. There are many people, charities and organisations who could benefit from your support.

First of all, decide what kind of volunteering would suit you. Think about the sort of organisation you’d like to volunteer for, the activities you’d like to get involved in, and how much time you can offer.

Volunteering doesn't always mean giving up whole days at a time. There are many opportunities available to suit even the busiest of people. Just sparing a lunch break can be enough to help a good cause. Find out more in Volunteering: fit it in.

What types of volunteering are there?

There are numerous types of volunteering open to you. Here are just a few:

Employer-supported volunteering

Businesses and public sector organisations are often keen to help their employees become involved in volunteering, perhaps as part of a corporate social responsibility programme. Sometimes employers run a scheme to encourage staff to volunteer, and sometimes employers allow their employees time off to pursue their own projects.

If this sounds like the best option for you, ask if there’s an established scheme at your place of work. If there isn’t, you could suggest it. Look at the Employee Volunteering and Volunteering England websites for further information.

Volunteering for a specific health condition

If you or someone you know has been affected by a specific health condition, volunteering can be a great way of sharing your knowledge and experience. It could even play a part in your own recovery. You might like to give your time to the hospital unit or department that treated you.

Alternatively, you could volunteer for a charity. This might involve helping in a charity shop, fundraising or running support groups. Go to Find services for details of how to approach your local NHS trust, or visit the website of a charity you'd like to volunteer for.

Biobanking

Biobanking involves healthy people or people with a specific condition giving samples of blood, urine, tissue or saliva – these are then used to develop a better understanding of health and certain illnesses.

For more information, visit healthtalk.org, where you can hear volunteers talk about their experiences of biobanking.

Time banks

Time banks are an innovative way of volunteering your time and skills. If you participate in a time bank you offer your skills in return for credits, which you can then use to buy someone else's services. For example, you could offer three hours of gardening and in exchange receive a one-hour language lesson and a two-hour beauty treatment from other members of the time bank.

Visit Time Banking UK to find out what's available in your area.

Where can I find volunteer roles?

Volunteering Matters

Volunteering Matters (formerly CSV) was founded to encourage young people aged 16 to 35 to volunteer. Its main focus is on full-time volunteering. Opportunities include work on environmental projects, helping children to read and supporting people who are unwell and unable to carry out day-to-day tasks. There are also many health-focused projects, open to people of all ages on a part-time or full-time basis. Visit Volunteering Matters to find something that suits you.

Do-it

Do-it is the only national database of volunteering opportunities in the UK. The Do-it website allows users to search more than 1 million opportunities by area of interest and postcode. There is also the option to apply online.

National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO)

NCVO is the umbrella body for the voluntary and community sector in England, with the aim of connecting people and organisations. It has 11,000 members, from large organisations to small community groups, so there will be one that is right for you.

Locate your nearest volunteer centre.

Friends of the Elderly

Friends of the Elderly needs volunteers to help out with its day centres, befriending services, and activities in care homes, and to get involved in its Be a Friend campaign.

Local NHS Trust

Contacting your local NHS trust directly is a good way of finding out about volunteering opportunities in your area. See Volunteers: NHS heroes, in which Diane Bown, the head of volunteering for the Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust, describes the difference volunteers make to the health service.

Visit the website of your local trust for more information on how to volunteer, or contact them directly. See Find services: NHS trusts.

Read about Andrew's experiences of volunteering with dementia patients.

Should I volunteer?

There's good evidence that volunteering brings benefits to both the person volunteering and the people and organisations they support.

Volunteering involves spending unpaid time doing something to help other people or groups, other than (or as well as) close relatives. Evidence suggests that volunteering brings health benefits to both the volunteers and the people they help.

According to the National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO), during the period August 2012 to April 2013, 44% of adults in England said they had volunteered at least once in the previous year.

In an attempt to measure the benefits on volunteers, Volunteering England commissioned the University of Wales to undertake a review of research on the subject. Dr Rachel Casiday, lecturer at the Department of Voluntary Sector Studies at the University of Wales, Lampeter, led the review. She describes its findings below.

“Peer support doesn’t just work one way,” says Dr Casiday. “Even if you’re in a mentoring role, simply talking to someone else who is struggling with the same issue can support you as well. It’s not just an act of charity. In a lot of cases, the volunteer is helped as much as the patient.”

Health benefits

“Volunteering can yield as many benefits, if not more, for the volunteers themselves,” says Dr Casiday. Benefits can include:

Quality of life

A May 2012 study by the Royal Voluntary Service (formerly the WRVS) found that volunteering in later life decreased depression and social isolation. It was also found to boost quality of life and life satisfaction.

Ability to cope with ill health

Volunteering can help people come to terms with their own illness and help take their mind off their own problems. One study found that it helped them perform better in their own daily lives.

A healthier lifestyle

“The research looked at smokers volunteering in stop-smoking services, who then gave up themselves,” says Dr Casiday. “It also studied binge drinking on university campuses, and found that when students were volunteering, they drank much less.”

Improved family relationships

A study comparing older volunteers with older non-volunteers showed that the volunteers had better relationships with their family. “This may be because their care-giving role carries over into personal relationships and makes older volunteers more independent and less reliant on their family,” says Dr Casiday.

Meeting new people

Volunteering is a good way to meet people. This can be vital for older volunteers and people who might be isolated or not particularly integrated into society.

Improved self-esteem and sense of purpose

“This can be really important in getting someone back to work,” says Dr Casiday. “Volunteering can bring back your self-esteem and motivate you. Improved self-esteem can have an effect on other areas of your health and life.”

Patient health

The report by Dr Casiday concluded that it is difficult to accurately measure the effect of volunteering on people who use the NHS, because the range of volunteering roles is so varied. The report did reveal the following results for patients:

Increased self-esteem and confidence

When someone has a long-term condition, their self-esteem is often affected, making it difficult for them to talk to doctors. “Having a volunteer to act as a mediator can really make the patient feel supported,” says Dr Casiday. Volunteers can improve the relationship between staff and patient.

Better social interaction, integration and support

A volunteer is more likely to be seen as someone who's on the same level as the patient (a peer) and is therefore easier to relate to than a doctor. The volunteer is also likely to have more time to listen and chat to the patient. One study showed that volunteers could even reduce depression in patients.

Reduced burden on carers

Having somebody to support carers can be of huge value to them. It reduces the strain on the carer and helps them to carry on effectively with their caring duties.

Decreased anxiety

One study showed that patients who were about to go through a medical procedure were less anxious when they could talk to a volunteer who had been through the same procedure themselves.

Longer survival times for hospice patients

“Hospice patients who have a volunteer making social visits live a month longer on average than those who don't,” says Dr Casiday. “This is amazing considering how unwell people are in a hospice setting.”

An increase in breastfeeding and childhood immunisation

Studies of young or disadvantaged mothers show that volunteers, either through telephone hotlines or home visits, provide peer support and help to educate them about breastfeeding and vaccinations. Volunteers could also have an influence on how often the children are taken for their standard health checks.

Improved clinic attendance and taking of medicines

Having someone there who can help and be a mediator with the doctors can improve the chances of a patient following their treatments and attending their appointments.

How can I volunteer?

• Volunteering England
• Volunteering Matters (formerly CSV)
• Do-it Be More