My doctoral thesis will explore loneliness experienced by older people using
Participatory Action Research (PAR). Working in collaboration with an adult day centre in the North East of England, this research will seek to better understand the role day centres may play in preventing or alleviating feelings of loneliness experienced by older people. The UK government has now acknowledged that loneliness is a serious public health issue and has subsequently called for an increase in academic research to investigate the impact of loneliness and effective interventions. While day centres are well placed to contribute to a community-based approach to the government’s initiative, local authority expenditure cuts since 2010 have resulted in more than half of the North East’s adult day centres being closed. With further spending reductions set to rise in the coming years, the future of day centres is unclear. Using PAR will not only give an alternative and much needed perspective on older people’s experiences of loneliness at a micro-level but might also provide insight and understanding to create the foundations for future loneliness interventions at a macro-level.