Factors influencing social isolation of older people

Individual

• Living alone;
• Health status - mental, physical;
• Disability eg hearing impairment;
• Ability to use existing public and/or private transport;
• Being in the workforce;
• Engagement in meaningful activity;
• Resilience - the ability to recover and move on in the face of difficulty;
• Financial status;
• Gender;
• Speaking English;
• Literacy;
• Attitude to and/or knowledge of technology;
• Perception of level of crime/violence in community;
• Willingness to accept help;
• Level of self responsibility/self determination; and
• Attitude to life - positive/negative.

Social

• Loss of relationships through death or divorce;
• Family support;
• Loss of children when they leave home;
• Network of friends;
• Grandparenting;
• Relocation to new community;
• Loss of grandchildren if family moves away or following divorce;
• Being a carer;
• Availability of wide range of opportunities for meaningful social participation activities:
  • social recreational/health promoting/ activities; and
  • transport to and from activities; and
• Access to learning and development opportunities.

Community

• Physical isolation:
  • area of residence; and
  • availability of public transport;
• Local infrastructure for positive and healthy ageing:
  • safe and accessible walkways and bikeways;
• Public space available for community members to use;
• Accessibility of public buildings for those with a disability/frailty;
• Range of social and health services needed to meet needs of community;
• Access to information on services;
• Ageism, racism, sexism;
• Norms that stereotype older people; and
• Social Capital - cooperative networks and trust in a community.