reducing loneliness and social isolation for people reaching the - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Compassionate Neighbours: reducing loneliness and social isolation for people reaching the end of life

Dan Robotham, Deputy Research Director, McPin Foundation Carly Attridge, Senior Programme Lead, St Joseph’s Hospice

• Public health approach to end of life care
• A social movement to support ‘compassionate communities’
• Increase connectivity for people coming to the end of their lives
• Autumn 2017 and Spring 2019

223

Compassionate Neighbours trained and making a difference in their community

1000+

Compassionate Neighbours trained across 8 hospice adopters.

70

One to one matches in East London in 2017

600+

One to One matches by the end of 2019 across 8 hospice adopters

About McPin

• Mental health research charity
• London-based (but work nationally)
• Collaborative methodology

Project work Comms Human Resources

Evaluation focus

• How does the Compassionate Neighbours programme:
• Create capacity to respond to people’s needs at the end of life
• Build skills and confidence around death, dying and loss
• Strengthen links between hospices, people and communities
• Experiences of:
• Community members
• Compassionate neighbours

Methods

• Mixed-method, coproduced approach:
• Observations
• Short questionnaire with ‘community members’ (n=61)
• Survey with compassionate neighbours (n=102)
• Immediately after training, 4-6 months after training
• Interviews
• Hospice leads, compassionate neighbours, community members and carers

Peer evaluators collected data and supported data entry

Findings

• Community members
• New connections and friendships
• Links with hospice
• Good ‘matching’
• Compassionate neighbours
• Expanded social networks
• Being part of hospice
• Feelings about death and dying
• Grief and loss of community members

Thoughts from community members

"When mum died, I thought that would be the end of it. But they still came to see me… we have a cup of tea and chat. It's something that I could look forward to because when mum died I had a load

• f stuff that needed to be dealt with.”

“I think the fact that it was connected to the hospice was helpful, because the hospice to me is like my second home… when I was really ill and I trust the hospice. So, I kind of figured, if it was something connected to the hospice, then it must have been something good”

"He's become more of a friend. We ring each other out of hours, that sort of

• thing. It started off as he came to me, to

my convenience obviously, for an hour. And now I can't get rid of the bloody bloke!”

"Sometimes I feel, and I know it might sound silly, but as though I am a better person because of what I'm doing, I've got more time for other people."

Thoughts from compassionate neighbours’

“Lots of preconceptions about dying have been challenged, but not necessarily made easier. Spending time with people with dementia makes you more familiar with the common humanity we all share”

“I was becoming cynical in my old age. It helped me have a bit more optimism about human beings."

Recommendations

Thank you for listening

Contact DanRobotham@mcpin.org @djrobotham @McPinFoundation C.Attridge@STJH.org.uk @ @StJoHospice

• @carly_attridge