Socially Isolated and Lonely Older Adults in Switzerland

Social isolation and loneliness amongst older adults are one of the most pressing public health issues in our ageing society. A big obstacle to effectively addressing this issue is how to identify individuals who are experiencing or most at risk of social isolation and loneliness. This Policy Brief outlines current strategies used to facilitate the outreach to people most in need:

i) enlist personnel in the community in the identification process,

ii) build strong databases and use existing data to create heat maps, and

iii) launch awareness campaigns to raise awareness and reduce stigma.

Stakeholder(s): Representatives from local and regional authorities, senior organizations, NGOs and educational institutions.

SLHS Lead: Department of Health Sciences and Medicine, University of Lucerne

Authors: Yanmei Liu, Sarah Mantwill

Policy Brief: Download PDF

Key Messages: English, French, Italian

Summary of Stakeholder Dialogue: Download PDF