Reaching people with sight loss is a key challenge for telephone support services - these schemes, known as telebefriending schemes, connect isolated people to trained callers, mostly through one-to-one conversations.
Our recent Research Discussion Paper No. 7 - Telebefriending and telephone support services for people with sight loss, assesses the impact of telebefriending schemes.It shows how they can be most effective and sets out challenges for their future development.The schemes are invaluable, says the paper, not just to reduce isolation but to link people with support they might otherwise miss.
“People with sight loss suffer an increased risk of isolation and depression yet many are not in touch with available support,” says Sarah Buchanan, Research and Development Manager, Thomas Pocklington Trust. “Their lives can be improved dramatically if telebefriending schemes can only reach them.”
There is a need, says the paper, for schemes, run by national and local societies across the UK, to specifically target people with sight loss. However, this should not be just to offer them telephone friendship but to recognise their potential as highly effective volunteers.
Linking together people with sight loss could be a particular strength of telebefriending since the research confirms that people acting as friends get as much enjoyment from making the calls as those who receive them.
In a Pocklington pilot scheme in Balham, South London, both people with sight loss and the volunteers making the calls, found that telebefriending increased their confidence, reduced isolation and provided vital emotional support.
People with sight loss reported that, generally, the scheme increased their sense of well-being.It was found that it:
- Reduced loneliness:For some it was their only social conversation.
- Connected them to the community.
- Gave them a social structure and something to look forward to.
- Helped them feel safe, since they were reassured by someone outside taking an interest.
- Encouraged them to use other services:The scheme provided information they might otherwise not receive as well as putting them in touch with people who knew about or had used local services.
In our Occasional Paper 27 - Social inclusion, social circumstances and the quality of life of visually impaired older people, we reported that people with sight loss are three to five times more at risk of poor quality of life and depression than people without sight loss.They were more likely to have poor quality relationships with friends and family and were less involved with social, civic and cultural activities such as voting, hobbies and leisure activities.All of this contributed to a reduction in their general sense of well being.
“Today, there is no need for people with sight loss to be disconnected from support,” said Sarah Buchanan.“Our study shows that telebefriending improves lives; the challenge is to find ways for these schemes to reach out to people with sight loss.”
The new study calls for researchers to help develop services. In particular to investigate:
- How can telebefriending reach people who don’t have any contact with other support services?The paper suggests that GPs, eye clinics, hospitals, sensory teams, older people’s organisations and others who are in touch with people with sight loss may have a role to play.
- How can telebefriending be effective within existing sight loss services?
- How can the potential to involve people with sight loss as volunteers be used to the maximum?
