Dear Mr Mcloughlin

12.11.2012 The Rt. Hon Patrick McLoughlin Secretary of State for Transport House of Commons London SW1A OAA Dear Mr McLoughlin Your invitation 3rd December 2012, Room R, Portcullis House 18:00 – 19:00 Campaign to End Loneliness/Paul Burstow MP Event to tackle loneliness in your constituency As a member of your constituency, an employee of the NHS and someone concerned about the health of the elderly, I am writing to remind you about your invitation to The Campaign to End Loneliness event supported by Paul Burstow MP. We all need to be informed about the way in which loneliness is detrimental to our health. Smoking, obesity and excessive alcohol consumption are accepted risks to wellbeing; health services and the general public are aware of these issues. The detrimental effect of Loneliness, particularly to older people is now a major health risk, not only equal to or even exceeding the harm caused by smoking, obesity and alcohol, but also increasing the risk of hypertension, depression and dementia, with an increased risk of acquiring Alzheimer’s disease of 50%. Professor John Cacioppo (University of Chicago) has evidence that disconnection with others causes weakness in the immune system resulting in greater vulnerability to infection. Loneliness might be seen as an inevitable and acceptable factor in ageing. The proximity of the extended family is no longer a protective factor. Our elderly are cared for by agencies that have only the briefest time slots to get our elderly out of bed, washed and fed before rushing on to the next waiting customer. I know because my work is in the rehabilitation of elderly people. So, I am asking you as my MP in the Derbyshire Dales to accept your invitation to attend the event organised by the Campaign to End Loneliness. This is not a sentimental campaign. Loneliness costs lives and it is likely to become a huge financial burden. As you know, in the Derbyshire Dales we have a higher than average proportion of elderly people. Half of our population of 69,800 are over 45 years old and we have 20% over the age of 65. Research has found that 10% of older people over the age of 65 are chronically lonely all or most of the time. This amounts to 1396 lonely and vulnerable people in the Derbyshire Dales. Addressing the problem of Loneliness can reduce the need for medication and hospitalisation with its associated risks of hospital acquired infection, pneumonia, strokes due to inactivity, loss of function and independence and the need for protracted rehabilitation. We need to protect our existing resources for the elderly in the Derbyshire Dales. David Cameron has just launched a campaign to tackle dementia, partly relying on volunteers, so the importance of dementia has been acknowledged by your government. Loneliness is bigger than dementia. We can’t allow the devastating effects of loneliness to reach epidemic proportions. As the number of our ageing population increases we need to attempt to protect our elders from the scourge of loneliness to avoid their pain, suffering and deterioration of wellbeing. If we do not safeguard our elderly we failing in our duty of care to the most vulnerable people in our society. This need is universal, rich and poor alike suffer, from the wealthy sitting alone in their rooms for hours in their privately funded elegant care homes to the immobile elderly, at home, who have had strokes or perhaps amputations and are stuck in their chairs, looking at a wall, alone, until the care agency call in for 10 minutes three times a day to attend to their needs. Paul Burstow MP attended the AgeUK conference ‘What do we know about Loneliness’ in July this year. Following his address to the conference, I asked how he was going to protect the most vulnerable in our society, the frail elderly, against Loneliness. He replied that carers would be given more time to care properly; they would be able to listen and not rush off after they completed their tasks. I don’t know how he is going to legislate to ensure this happens or how this is going to be paid for. This alone cannot provide a solution but might be a starting place. We need to educate and increase awareness of the health risks caused by loneliness. Increasing our resilience and maintaining social relationships are protective strategies. We need government support to at least retain existing funding to social, health and charity organisations that provide services to the elderly. Together with academics, doctors, nurses, health and social care workers, carers, families and not least, the elderly, innovative new services need to be created to alleviate social isolation. This need not be costly. Esther Rantzen who also attended the AgeUK conference suggested that we draw attention to interventions that work and encourage others to learn from good practice. I hope that you will be inspired to promote The Campaign to End Loneliness for your constituents in the Derbyshire Dales. Yours sincerely Alison Foster .

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