Over 60% of Islington's elderly residents experience loneliness, a report presented to the Health, Wellbeing and Adult Social Care Scrutiny Committee has revealed.
Age UK Islington has highlighted the significant issue of social isolation among older people in the borough, warning that this lack of connection can lead to an accelerated loss of independence and a huge cost burden on statutory services
.
The charity's Chief Executive, Adam Moll, and colleague Ismail Bahrieli, presented their findings to councillors, explaining that over 60% of older adults in Islington report having less social contact than they would like. They noted that approximately half of all clients they see experience issues related to a lack of social connections, with 37% living alone, often exacerbated by existing health conditions.
Age UK Islington offers a range of services to combat this, including a befriending service. However, this service is currently oversubscribed, with something like 30 to 35 residents on a waiting list
, and has a time limit of nine months to ensure sustainability.
To address the sustainability of befriending services and prevent a return to isolation, Age UK Islington explained their focus on building resilience and creating a community connection plan
for each client. This plan is developed to ensure that changes for clients are sustainable in the long term. It involves ensuring clients know what community groups they can go to, they know what days they are, they know if they've got particular health issues, where can they go apart from the GP, where the local kind of charities in the organisation?
The charity is also advocating for more concerted befriending and connecting services, alongside support for digital inclusion. Age UK Islington is working on initiatives to support digital inclusion, including providing training on using smartphones, email, and video conferencing tools like Teams and Zoom. They are also doing work with Google around developing a potential AI platform to support people to live independently for longer. An example of a carer who was able to reconnect with family after receiving digital training highlights the success of these initiatives.
The committee heard that Age UK Islington supports around 15,000 to 16,000 people annually, with approximately 5,000 receiving intensive casework. Volunteers contribute around 5,000 hours each year.
The charity recommended more targeted befriending services and support for digital inclusion, emphasizing that while AI is a growing tool, human connection remains paramount.
Public reports pack 15th-Oct-2026 19.30 Health Wellbeing and Adult Social Care Scrutiny Committee