Loneliness

[Caldey11]

Hypothetically, if something like this was in your local community, would you support it or think some people might support it?

A method to connect SAHMs with time on their hands with lonely older people in the community, that live alone or are in care homes. To create meaningful relationships across the generations, many older people have no close family.

Online network to post friend requests for people looking to make new connections, providing details of interests, age, availability for meeting etc

A way to connect older people with time and enthusiasm with new mums, especially single parents. Over time, if friendships are formed these people could help to look after the baby to give the mums a break. Some mums only know other mums or have friends who work, if no family live close by it can be hard to find anyone to provide help. I know there are childminders etc but this would be a way to help people make friends.

To provide information about other local charities and agencies who can provide support to those in need (financially, practically etc)

Loneliness is a big problem in society and I wonder if there might be a way to help this, if people had an easier way to make friends in their local community.

Interested to know if anyone thinks this is a good idea. Thanks

OP, old people are not usually lonely until they get too frail and/or demented to socialise - by which time they certainly wouldn’t be fit enough to babysit for housewives wanting a break from childcare!
The younger pensioners - 60 to 80, say - are too busy having cruises, playing golf, competing in bridge tournaments, going to study classes, visiting the gym, lunching with friends and seeing their own grandchildren.
Although well intentioned, your scheme would just pile more burdens onto stressed women to emotionally support random old folk for no return, as well as their own families.

There are obviously different groups of old people as you point out. I wouldn't expect ones who are in care homes to do the babysitting.

I know old ladies who help out at church playgroups, providing tea and snacks and playing with the children, they love it. There must be lots of older women who don't have any grandchildren but wish they did and maybe want to help other families in some way.

I wouldn't burden anyone with anything, this would very much be a voluntary scheme. In my case I am a SAHM with a 19 month old daughter, I would happily take her with me to chat with a lonely member of the community, in a care home let's say. Despite attending playgroups etc being a SAHM is actually quite lonely so I think it would be a win win for me and the older person. I have heard of a charity that seeks to put volunteers in touch with people in need in their community (SVP) so hopefully I can make a start by connecting with them.

@Caldey11

I volunteer with a local charity called Good Neighbours. It puts people in touch with someone in their community who needs a bit of company. My person is only 62, has had a stroke and wants some help going out for a walk and to have a natter to get him talking again.
@Babdoc its not the case that older people dont get lonely until they are too frail or demented to socialise. There are many reasons why people could be lonely. There are also many many younger pensioners who can only dream of a lifestyle of cruises, playing golf, bridge. gym, lunches - thats an expensive lifestyle out of reach of many. It will certainly be out of my reach.

@Caldey11 I’m not clear if you want to try and set something up yourself ? You are far better off contacting that local charity and volunteering with them.
Its not an easy or simple thing to organise. My charity has paid staff who do a lot of background work. There are significant safeguarding considerations, you can’t just have random people going into other people’s homes, many of whom will be vulnerable. As a volunteer I had a DBS check and provide references.

I spend an hour or so a week with my person, we have a walk if they feel up to it, have a cup of tea and cake and a chat. I don’t expect to get anything in return, apart from knowing I’ve been able to do something good for someone who needs it

Younger pensioners who can’t afford cruises etc still have social lives, Ted27!
My sister is on a small pension but still goes out to less expensive things such as bingo nights, evening classes and village barbecues, or to watch morris dancers etc. I suspect there are more lonely people in mansions than in tight knit communities on poorer estates.

-@Babdoc

I'm aware of that, I will be one of them. But you are being very dismissive of loneliness as an issue.

My next door neighbour is 63, has some health issues but not housebound, or she wasn't till lockdowns have turned her into a quivering wreck, unable to leave the house. Her family live a distance away, without me she would see noone for weeks on end.
The other person I visit has no family at all, one friend who visits once a week with some groceries. He sits in a chair 7 days a week watching TV because he is frightened of falling over if he goes out.

Just two examples. My point is that there are many people who are lonely, regardless of how big or small their pension is. The charity I volunteer for is desperate for volunteers, I could be visiting 6 people in my immediate neighbourhood if I had time.
The ops idea is not a bad one in itself. she is however underestimating how difficult it would be to organise and that for safeguarding reasons such schemes need to be professionally run.

Thanks @Ted27 , I do plan to start volunteering with St Vincent de Paul charity which has connections to my church. I know there is a need for volunteers. Hopefully I can spread the word among mums to see if we can join the dots and help each other to feel less lonely. Being a SAHM is like a strange look into retirement in a way, it's definitely making me realise how important it is to make and maintain friendships which when I was working didn't seem that important because I was busy working and socialising with work colleagues.

Well done for volunteering and making the lives of those people happier.