Wirral South Constituency Committee Tackling Social Isolation

This contract is primarily for delivery of services within the Wirral South Parliamentary constituency. Wirral South consists of the following five electoral wards: Bebington Bromborough Clatterbridge Eastham Heswall Wirral South Constituency is the second smallest with 72,285 residents. It has the largest number of people aged 65-74 years compared with other Wirral constituency areas, with 8,406 residents (26% of the population). Life expectancy in Wirral South constituency is 80.5 years. The gap between the ward with the highest (Heswall) and the lowest (Bromborough) is 7.5 years. Bromborough ward has the highest rate of hospital admission for falls in people aged over 65 years One in every three people aged over 65 years live alone in Wirral South constituency, this is the lowest of the four constituency areas The Standardised Mortality Ratio (SMR) for deaths caused specifically by alcohol in Wirral South constituency is a third higher than the national average SMR 130, but is lower than the Wirral average. Bromborough ward is more than double the national average with a SMR of 232 Bromborough ward has the largest non-white British population in Wirral South and Heswall ward has the largest number of Asian/Asian British residents Social isolation is a significant problem within our society and one that we should all be concerned about. Whilst most of us are fortunate enough to have family, friends and neighbours to provide us with a reliable social network, there are some for whom regular social interaction is non-existent. Changing patterns within our society e.g. older people living longer without adequate support, the financial impacts of recession, and vulnerable groups within society not having access to appropriate services or support mechanisms, all create the conditions for feeling cut off from society. Social isolation occurs when the opportunities that an individual has for contact with other people are either severely restricted or even non-existent. That person can then feel as though they are 'cut off' from society. Some people actively choose to live this way. For many others though, the impact of social isolation can be profound, causing both physical and mental health problems. Whilst it has been acknowledged for some time that being socially isolated can often lead to people feeling depressed, there is also now a growing amount of evidence to support the link between social isolation and physical illness. Social isolation can affect anybody at any point in their lives. Certain events in our lives can increase the risk of us feeling disconnected; for example if we have recently moved to a different area and do not know anyone or if we are going through a relationsh..(view full details to see more)

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