"One word to change everything": "la Caixa" Foundation launches a marathon to tackle loneliness among the elderly

The "la Caixa" Foundation launches the first marathon of words to tackle loneliness among the elderly. Squares and streets in the 14 Spanish cities where the programme “Siempre Acompañados” is running will become public spaces for debate to raise awareness of the phenomenon of loneliness and the importance of building good social relationships.

Under the slogan "A word to change everything", the action is based on the conviction that talking is the first step towards becoming aware of the feeling of unwanted loneliness. Based on this detection, the programme offers a professional team with the aim of empowering the person by facilitating relationships of trust, commitment and collaboration with the environment, as well as support in their process so that they can enjoy a full life.

In this sense, through talks with renowned experts that will take place on the sofas installed in the different squares and streets, citizens will be able to approach loneliness from different approaches: for example, ageism and stereotypes about old age; emotional relationships, emotions, wellbeing and the meaning of life; physical and social fragility; isolation during the pandemic; the feeling of belonging, or the role of community networks in loneliness. All of this will be presented by personalities such as the philosopher Francesc Torralba; the psychologists Feliciano Villar and María del Carmen Orte Socías; the geriatricians Nicolás Martínez Velilla and José Manuel Marín Carmona; the bioethicist doctor Javier Júdez, and the expert in community processes Luz Morín, among others.

The initiative will be held on the occasion of the International Day of Older Persons (1 October) in Malaga, Granada, Jerez, Logroño, Pamplona, Murcia, Palma, Girona, Lleida, Tàrrega, Sabadell, Terrassa, Tortosa and Santa Coloma de Gramenet. In addition to being a meeting and visibility point, the action aims to detect new people in a situation of loneliness and to vindicate the work of the entities that work to tackle this phenomenon in the territories.

The "la Caixa" Foundation's Elderly People's programme, with more than a hundred years of history, aims to tackle the new challenges that arise in old age. In Spain as a whole, people over 65 years of age represent 19.1% of the population and this percentage is expected to increase to 24.9% in 2068. In this age group, loneliness is estimated to have a prevalence of 30-40%, i.e. affecting between 2.7 and 3.6 million older people in Spain.

The programme “Siempre Acompañados” considers the elderly as active subjects and starts from their needs, interests and capacities to help them face their situation of loneliness by promoting meaningful social relationships and empowering the person, reinforcing their personal strengths. The project aims to understand loneliness and intervene in it, taking into account its complexity and idiosyncrasies with an innovative methodology that involves the community and local entities, and fostering networks of accompaniment and collaboration. The programme unites the different public administrations, entities, associations and individuals in each territory in the same common purpose.

It has been scientifically proven that coping with loneliness and improving social relationships brings powerful benefits: a reduction in psychological suffering (depression, anxiety...); a greater psychological adaptation to situations of chronic stress (such as caregiving), loss and illness; improved health and life expectancy; a higher quality of life; and a reduction in the likelihood of falling ill and suffering from dementia. The programme has also found that fostering social relationships is crucial to living a full life with meaning and significance.

“Siempre Acompañados” is currently being carried out in 14 cities in Spain and 2 in Portugal (Lisbon and Porto). During this year, the programme has assisted around 1,000 people, thanks to the involvement of more than 330 volunteers and 430 entities, organised in community networks.

The confinement and social isolation caused by the context of the pandemic may have aggravated situations of loneliness among older people. According to an online survey carried out during the confinement and aimed at people participating in the "la Caixa" Foundation's Elderly People programme, the prevalence of loneliness stood at 54.04%. This is an increase compared to the prevalence detected in the survey carried out as part of the “Siempre Acompañados” programme in 2018, which estimated emotional loneliness at 39.8% and social loneliness at 29.1% in this group. In addition, the latest study carried out by the organisation reveals that more than 34% of the people surveyed recognise having had negative thoughts during the pandemic and having felt sadness, anxiety and unease.