Loneliness Among Older People

Part of 2. Questions to the Minister for Health and Social Services – in the Senedd at 3:06 pm on 30 September 2020.

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Photo of Julie Morgan Julie Morgan Labour 3:06, 30 September 2020

I thank Mike Hedges very much for that question. I know that many people, including older people, are lonely. There are also many people not confident digitally, don't use the internet and don't have access to the appropriate devices, and that is why we did fund Age Cymru to establish a telephone befriending service, and as I said, we've given them £400,000 for the fund. We feel that the Friend in Need service is an excellent service, as Mike Hedges says, and our Welsh Government officials have worked with Age Cymru to ensure that links are made in each local authority to ensure that what Friend in Need supplies fits in with what the local authorities are doing as well. And then, through Digital Communities Wales, we are coordinating initiatives in local communities for people, including older people, to access skills and to have the motivation and the confidence to take part in Zoom meetings, as Mike Hedges says. But I think he's asked a very important question and we're certainly working on those ends.