Loneliness is a ‘feeling experienced when there is a gap between desired and actual social contact’ (Age Cymru 2021). Loneliness is distinct from social isolation, which refers to a lack in the quantity rather than the quality of social contacts – but social isolation does increase the risk of loneliness.

Loneliness and social isolation have significant impacts on older people’s health and wellbeing. This was a priority issue for the previous Welsh Government since before the COVID-19 pandemic. During the pandemic, social distancing measures increased the risk of loneliness and social isolation and accelerated the use of technology to facilitate social contact and connection.

Following our work on Loneliness in Wales, WCPP was asked by the previous Welsh Government to find out how technology had been used during the COVID-19 pandemic in Wales to build social connections and tackle loneliness and social isolation among older adults. As part of this work, the University of Bath was commissioned to carry out the research. The research involved a survey and interviews with health and social care service providers and interviews with older adult service users. It sought to explore how, and how far, digital technologies have been used to address loneliness among older adults during the pandemic and to identify what might be learned for future efforts to tackle loneliness among this group.

Key findings from the research include:

• A sizeable difference in the digital abilities of older adults, demonstrating the need to routinely assess technological readiness and provide training;
• The use of technology is particularly challenging for some groups such as users with dementia or hearing loss, while it can prove a lifeline for others such as unpaid carers;
• The extent to which older adults are wary of the threat of scams which can affect motivation and desire to become more digitally competent;
• The use of smartphones as a ‘gateway’ to further digital use and;
• The workforce challenges involved in upskilling staff and volunteers should not be underestimated.

Read Older adults and the pandemic: Tackling loneliness through technology