The newsweekly has learned that there is not only a major crisis of adult social care in the British Asian community in the UK but there’s also a larger looming crisis of few to no befrienders for the elderly people. For instance, a British Gujarati family that has been struggling to find a befriender for an elderly man over the age of 90 on only selected days of the week has been unable to find a suitable person who can spend time with him and help him cope with loneliness. The roadblock remains language. There aren’t many local carers who are also befrienders who speak Gujarati.
Emerging findings from an ongoing evaluation of a programme in Leeds, called Time to Shine, which includes targeted projects that work with older people from Indian, Chinese and Irish backgrounds, provide learning on how to support older BAME individuals who are or may be at risk of being, lonely.
Cultural differences create the scope for support aimed at the general population will not always reach or engage some older BAME people. According to a study by researchers at the University of Sheffield, one Punjabi-speaking participant talked about how older people in some Indian communities are influenced by the views of their family members. This is why support involving a volunteer cooking a meal at a participant's home had mixed success, as some participants were concerned that family members would view this as a charity, which they perceived in a negative way.
Research shows that for some Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) people, cultural factors play a role in their loneliness. Some BAME communities have large family networks yet people within them may nevertheless experience loneliness due to having less involvement with peers, or activities that interest them. There is also an identified link between loneliness and the relatively high levels of poverty experienced by some BAME groups.
Providing support that is sensitive to cultural attitudes and practices is important when reaching and engaging some older BAME people, and it enables the support to link to their culture to create a sense of belonging.
A lack of confidence due to language barriers was mentioned by some and participants from non-English speaking backgrounds particularly welcomed projects that allowed them to chat in their own language. One participant who had lost confidence due to a mixture of bereavement and ill health specifically wanted to re-engage with Punjabi-speaking peers. She was therefore connected with a Punjabi-speaking family, and together they enjoyed evening meals together.
Some care homes provide chaplain services where they use a person-centred approach and deliver pastoral care with warmth, compassion, humour, mutual respect, strength and hope, aiming to inspire those we care for. While the UK continues to suffer a crisis of caregivers, finding befreinders is perhaps a more challenging task.
Harshaben Shah told the newsweekly that she feels that such carers may still be available in London for the elderly but in North or outside London, it is difficult. She feels culture is important and cultural awareness among caregivers or befrienders is paramount. “I think if they are culturally aware, it will be much more helpful for South Asian community to get help,” she said.
Loneliness is a major issue that is now widely recognised in society, a report by Age UK charity suggests. Covid-19 has been a major contributing and accelerating factor in increased loneliness among people. Many families lost their breadwinners, many lost their closest friends who meant more than family. The absence of a person who understands you more than others and also deciphers your mind and language can be a very lonely state to be in.
While charities like Age UK are investing in digital skills to improving transport services to supporting the voluntary sector, there is a larger need for a reinvigorated effort to reach and help those who often or always feel lonely.
For the South Asian community, language becomes a primary barrier, especially in old age to be able to socialise, befriend people and overcome loneliness. Physical challenges like being hard of hearing, or immobility issues also add to the loneliness. More importantly, when it comes to south Asian languages, Hindi is not the only pre-requisite. Gujarati, Punjabi, Sindhi, Marathi, Tamil and Telugu language speaking people bear the brunt of lack of communication skills and availability of befrienders as well as care takers.
Befrienders visit the homes of older people on a regular basis at a time that is convenient to both the volunteer and yourself. Visits are arranged by yourself and the befriender. A typical visit could include a sit down with tea and cake followed by a chat about your lives, or maybe you’ll chat while you play cards. Befriending is usually provided free of charge or for a small cost to users of the service. Charities use the money raised through their fundraising efforts to help continue to provide it to anyone who needs it.
Shutters down at community centres
A report in the Guardian late last year predicted that as the economy has spiralled, we have seen these anchor institutions themselves become less secure. Soaring energy costs threaten the ability to run vital community spaces. At the same time, volunteer capacity is stretched thin and financial donations are drying up.
Dozens of community figures, mainly in Wolverhampton, Glasgow, Cornwall and London, were interviewed for the report. A church leader in Wolverhampton said: “We’ve seen a lot of longstanding volunteers step back … Even before the demand for what we do went up, more people have just decided not to take stuff back up post-Covid. How we resource our community outreach from a human perspective will be a lot more challenging.”
A food bank coordinator in Glasgow said: “There is an increase in demand for food, obviously, but trying to find a way to collect it and get it to people is difficult when volunteers are stretched.”
A large mosque in Birmingham reported that it was considering cutting back on community activity significantly after being told its energy bills could quadruple from £60,000 to £250,000 a year.
The report concludes: “There is a risk that churches and other faith groups will close, not because of falling attendance or religious affiliation, but because they cannot afford to keep the lights on.”
Without action to address rising bills, the financial sustainability of buildings such as churches will be threatened, according to the report. The closure of community hubs such as village halls, scout huts, pubs, would leave “economic and social scars on the community”.
Ways to help the lonely
According to the NHS, there are lots of ways you can do your bit to help lonely or socially isolated older people in your community. The person you're helping will reap health benefits, and you'll find you will as well. Volunteering for an organisation that supports older people is a key way of helping a lonely or socially isolated older person. But a simple friendly chat or phone call can make all the difference, too.
Evidence suggests giving your time in this way could be as valuable to you as the person you support.
It's likely to boost your self-esteem and sense of purpose. And helping others takes your mind off your own problems for a while. It's not always easy to know who or how to help. A good start is simply to stop and talk to an older neighbour if you pass them on the street. If you think an older person may have trouble hearing or has memory problems, NHS suggests to make sure to speak clearly (but do not shout!). Pause between sentences and questions to give them chance to digest the information. And allow a little extra time for them to respond – do not hurry them. NHS also recommends offering practical help and accompany them or give them a lift to activities or doctors' and hospital appointments, the library, hairdressers or faith services.
Older people often really appreciate any offer of help with basic chores such as taking out the rubbish, changing light bulbs, fastening sash windows, clearing snow off the path, putting up pictures, and so on. Older, isolated people often need a hand cooking for themselves, so why not take round an extra plate of hot home-cooked food, or a frozen portion they can heat up or microwave?
Understanding loneliness
Age UK’s latest work has focused on further understanding loneliness among people aged 50 and over and has found that, if we don’t tackle loneliness, by 2026 there will be 2 million people over 50 in England who will often feel lonely. This will have a dramatic impact on their well-being and the quality of their lives. Our findings also show that the risk of being often lonely is dramatically higher among those people who are widowed or who do not have someone to open up to.
Loneliness occurs when people’s ability to have meaningful conversations and interactions is inhibited, and helping people cope with and overcome these feelings can require more than social activities. It can require personalised support and neighbourhoods which encourage and facilitate people to participate in their communities. The importance of good quality care, transport and other public amenities to achieve this means a genuinely cross-government approach is essential.
