Loneliness is recognised as a growing international problem, affecting people of all ages. It has implications for health, wellbeing and quality of life. While social isolation and loneliness are different things, they can be related, and both can have serious impacts on people and their communities.
We have encouraged the Queensland Government to work with local and international experts to explore the potential of an evidence-based loneliness and isolation strategy to explore the scale and impacts of these issues in our state and identify solutions.
What we do
We have ongoing discussions with the Queensland Government about the problems of loneliness and isolation, and the potential solutions being explored in research and practice, particularly through our role as the Seniors Peak organisation in Queensland.
As well as championing offline community-building, part of our work in this area also relates to digital inclusion. We encourage digital inclusion as one way to tackle isolation, particularly at times when people are unable to physically connect with others. We are involved in ongoing discussions with Government and community partners about the importance of ensuring those who are not online are not left behind, as well as ways to support people to comfortably and safely engage with technology.
As the Seniors Peak organisation in Queensland, we work to connect and support a large number of organisations that are funded to provide programs and services to older Queenslanders. Many of these organisations provide programs that help people socially connect, remain engaged, and contribute their skills and knowledge.
We have a Memorandum of Understanding with U3A in Queensland and we work with U3A to support lifelong learning and participation among older Queenslanders.
We actively support and promote programs that seek to connect people with their communities, whether virtually or physically, as well as research and community-based projects that explore and test solutions.
Find more information
The Queensland Government fund a range of programs, available across Queensland, to help you reduce the risk of isolation, improve health, and strengthen links within communities. You can find a listing of these organisations here.
Seniors Enquiry Line is a statewide information and referral service funded by the Queensland Government and operated by UnitingCare Community. Call 1300 135 500 or visit the Seniors Enquiry Line website to access information about services for seniors in your community.
You can also find a directory of community services, clubs and interest group, and events on My Community Directory, which is also supported by the Queensland Government.
The University of the Third Age (U3A) is the largest provider of adult education programs for older Queenslanders. All programs are provided by volunteers and there are now 34 U3A groups throughout Queensland including U3A Online.
Are you looking to connect virtually or increase your skills with technology?
- Tech Savvy Seniors is an ongoing partnership between the Queensland Government (led by State Library of Queensland) and Telstra. This partnership provides older people across Queensland the opportunity to develop the skills and confidence to use technology for socialising, accessing important services or conducting personal business.
- Telstra’s Learning Centre offers short ‘self-teach’ videos designed to make it easy to learn at your own pace.
- Deadly Digital Communities help to close the digital divide in Queensland by encouraging people in remote and regional Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities to develop digital literacy skills and use digital technologies to access health, social and financial services.
- Be Connected is an Australia wide initiative empowering all Australians to thrive in a digital world.