- Participant & Resident Stories
- Aged Care Reform
Regional loneliness tackled by community groups like Carnarvon's Old Bastards
Key points4 points
- Ending Loneliness Together's research finds loneliness and social isolation are markedly more prevalent in regional and rural Australia than in metropolitan areas.
- Regional communities report a lack of funded physical spaces and programs addressing isolation, a gap relevant to aged care providers planning community engagement.
- The Chatterbox program on the Gold Coast matches volunteers with aged care residents and reports immediate improvements in residents' mood and willingness to leave their rooms.
- Experts identify 18 to 25 year olds and people aged 65 and over as the loneliest groups, supporting intergenerational programming as a service model.
Summary
An ABC feature profiles community-led responses to loneliness in regional Australia, including the Carnarvon Old Bastards in Western Australia and the government-funded Chatterbox volunteer visiting scheme on the Gold Coast that pairs volunteers with aged care residents. Ending Loneliness Together reports regional and rural communities have significantly higher rates of loneliness and social isolation, and residents cite inadequate infrastructure and program investment. The article links isolation to serious health outcomes, including heart disease, depression, and stroke risk. Experts highlight intergenerational connection as a practical remedy for the two loneliest cohorts, young adults and people aged 65 and over.