Tackling loneliness and social isolation: the role of commissioners

Social Care Institute for Excellence point out that with one million people aged 65 and over in the UK reporting they are often or always lonely, few would refute the need to tackle this issue. However, loneliness and social isolation are conditions that are difficult to identify, complex to address and hard to resolve. The evidence base for interventions to address the problems of loneliness and social isolation is emerging but inconclusive at this stage.