Integrated care systems: a potential for improving care of housebound older adults

As I write, the sun is shining and people have emerged from a long, cold winter, exacerbated by rising fuel prices. The pandemic is over and most people are feeling courageous to gather in large groups—inside and out. This brings into sharp relief the plight of our client group— housebound elderly people living alone. It is often cited that social isolation and loneliness have a similar effect on morbidity and mortality as smoking 15 cigarettes a day (Perossinotto et al, 2019).

An article in last month's issue (Ohashi and Kawai, 2023) was about increasing social interaction in older housebound people in Japan, and reducing their isolation and health sequelae. In this month's issue, there is an article about dementia and cognitive decline, which are strongly linked to social isolation, pre- and post-diagnosis (Curelaru et al, 2021). We have an evergrowing population of older, lonely people living with long-term conditions in the UK and need to think creatively about how we can increase their social networks and promote their health.