Loneliness maps' are being used to tackle the problem of elderly people being left alone by working out which areas' residents are most at risk. Health experts have warned that being socially isolated can be as harmful as smoking 15 cigarettes a day, leading to an increased risk of problems such as dementia and high blood pressure. Now campaigners say that local councils should draw up maps of the places where pensioners and others are most likely to suffer from social isolation. Map: This 'loneliness map' was drawn up by Essex County Council showing the areas where residents are most vulnerable to becoming socially isolated . Two county councils, Essex and Gloucestershire, have already implemented the maps, which allow them to target 'danger zones' of loneliness. A new report from the University of Kent and the Campaign to End Loneliness recommends the maps as a way of treating the problem across the country. In Gloucestershire, council bosses compiled the maps by studying statistics on a range of public health factors which are often linked to lonely people. They looked for areas with large numbers of over-65s, people living alone, people suffering from mental illness, households with no car and people on a low income. Danger: Being lonely can lead to health problems including dementia (picture posed by model) The council also surveyed residents to identify those who rarely speak to their neighbours, are unsatisfied with their social life and say they don't have someone to talk to. They then combined all those factors to map the districts where people are most likely to be suffering from loneliness, with the most vulnerable areas marked in red. A spokesman for the council said: 'Targeting local people who need our help the most is a priority for us in Gloucestershire and we are always looking at new ways to reach them. 'The map we've adapted from a model by Essex County Council means that we can work out how many people could be lonely and where those people need us most.' The Campaign to End Loneliness has now called on other councils to copy the maps and draw up their own versions for their local area. The campaign's director Laura Alcock-Ferguson said: 'Finding people who are experiencing loneliness can be challenging, as they are often also some of the most hidden people in our communities. 'However, it is encouraging that, across the country, there are excellent examples of councils that are employing different strategies to identify residents most at risk of loneliness. 'If local councils and services do not act now to find the people experiencing severe loneliness, we are likely to see the consequences in our hospitals and social care services.' The report identifies a number of other risk factors that might make people more likely to suffer from chronic loneliness. People from ethnic minorities, those recently bereaved or forced to care for their loved ones and childless pensioners are particularly susceptible.
Local councils are urged to draw up maps of the residents who are at risk.
Essex and Gloucestershire have already made 'loneliness maps'
Experts warn that being lonely can lead to serious health problems.