Great Bookham Christians seek to tackle loneliness of the elderly

LEATHERHEAD, U.K. - March 19, 2019 - PRLog -- Research suggests that care home residents are twice as likely to feel severely lonely, as  older people living in the community. One care home resident put it this way, "you can feel lonely in a crowd."

A small group of Christians in Great Bookham have come together to help tackle this problem of loneliness. They've set up a local 'Care Home Friends' project, helping individuals from local churches to tackle loneliness through trained volunteers spending time and building friendship with residents.

Sharon Schonborn, who leads the project, said "Running a Care Home Friends project gives us a way to reach the elderly in our local community and make a impact on loneliness in the lives of individual care home residents."

The project is very close to Sharon's heart, as her own mother was diagnosed with aggressive dementia and is currently a care home resident.

Care Home Friends developed out of the award-winning charity, Embracing Age. The charity started in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, and has seen significant impact in their local area.

Care Home Friends volunteers visit care home residents and build a friendship, by chatting, reading aloud, doing a crossword, playing a game like Scrabble or accompanying them on a walk, depending on the residents likes and interests.

Visiting a resident for just one hour each week can have a huge impact, bringing colour into what can otherwise be a monochrome existence. One care home resident said of her volunteer, who visits and takes her on walks and spends time talking with her, "he absolutely saved my life".

If you would like to find out more about Care Home Friends, contact Tina English, tina@embracingage.org.uk or visit www.carehomefriends.org.uk.

Phone Tina English: 0203 7780035 option 1

www.carehomefriends.org.uk

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