HEALTHY LONELINESS
Empowering citizens to face loneliness, being healthy and active
Loneliness is the negative subjective evaluation of the gap between an individual’s desired and actual quantity and quality of social relationships (de Jong-Gierveld et al. 2006). In Europe, 5 to 15% of adults aged 60–80 report frequent feelings of loneliness (Dykstra 2009). Research demonstrate large cross-country variations. A North-South divide has been shown, with far higher loneliness in the South(Fokkema et al. 2012). Little is known, however, about the risk of late-life loneliness in Eastern Europe. In 2006, 7.2% of Europeans were socially isolated – population who never meet up with friends or relatives.
This project intends to empower citizens in loneliness through different activities. It aims to:
- Achieve a better understanding of the current loneliness situation in older people at urban environments, identifying its causes, consequences and needs that existing solutions promoted by cities are not covering.
- Improve their quality of life and self-esteem and reinforce the positive points of living alone.
- Evaluate the participants mental health and self-esteem status before and after their participation in the project
- Foster the development of on-line care systems at home.