Join Alertacall at CIH event on ‘Tackling loneliness and social isolation amongst older people’

Alertacall will be leading an expert panel at part five of the 2020 ‘Older People’s Housing Virtual Conference’ hosted by the Chartered Institute of Housing (‘CIH’) in partnership with Erosh. The fifth session of the digital conference focuses on the issue of ‘Tackling loneliness and social isolation amongst older people’. The event is open to both members and non-members of the CIH and takes place at 10:00 – 11:45am on Wednesday 17 March 2021.

Loneliness is a deeply personal experience affecting 7.7 million people in the UK. COVID-19 has only exacerbated mental health and wellbeing issues, particularly in older people who are more likely to have experienced increased loss and isolation during this time. This session will explore:

• the role housing providers have to play in combatting loneliness and isolation
• how technology and digitally enhanced daily contact can work alongside housing teams to help reduce loneliness and isolation
• potential opportunities to reach out to the wider community

Martin Cutbill, director of Alertacall, will be joined by speakers from Welsh housing provider, United Welsh, and the national charity, Silver Stories.

Putting people at the heart of innovation: combining people and technology to reduce loneliness for a better housing service.
Martin Cutbill, Director, Alertacall

Utilising technology to improve digital access and combining this with the ability to have personal contact 365 days a year can play a vital role in helping older people feel better connected while also enabling them to maintain their independence. However, that same technology, if not applied correctly, can also make the issue worse.

This session looks at why tackling social isolation is important for housing providers, what to be aware of when implementing technology for older people, and why human interaction should be at the heart of all solutions.

Case study: United Welsh’s Living Well Team and Housing Proactive – winners in the ‘New Ideas and Approaches’ category at 2019 CIH Welsh Housing Awards.
Andrew Burns, Team Leader, United Welsh

United Welsh won the award for ‘New Ideas and Approaches’ in partnership with Alertacall at the 2019 CIH Welsh Housing Awards. Their Living Well team implemented the Housing Proactive system into their older persons’ schemes which has created a range of benefits for both residents and staff. Residents are provided with devices which all have Alertacall’s unique OKEachDay button and the system uses digitally enhanced daily contact to give tenants greater independence, help reduce loneliness and offers greater property management insights.

‘Communicating across the generations’ – working with your community to tackle social isolation with older residents – Silver Stories
Co-creator, Elisabeth Carney-Haworth OBE

Silver Stories was created by husband and wife team, Elisabeth Carney-Haworth OBE, and David Carney-Haworth OBE. They created Silver Stories in 2015 in response to their knowledge about the loneliness that can be felt by older people in the community and often their separation from the younger generation. The charity works with the local community to enrol children (known as Silver Readers) who telephone a Silver Listener and then read a short story or poem to them. The charity not only helps the children to become more confident in their reading skills but also links children to older people in the community and helps diminish their chances of feeling isolated.

Q&A session and networking

The speakers will then return for a Q&A panel session hosted by Matthew Dicks, National director, Chartered Institute of Housing Cymru. Following which, attendees will also have the opportunity to network and collaborate in the networking lounge to share best practice with other attendees.

Tickets cost £40 + VAT. For more information and to book your place at the event, click here.

Erosh members, CIH corporate partners and partner organisations in Wales and Scotland can also benefit from the reduced rate of £30 + VAT. please book here.