Why Social Inclusion Is Important To Older People

Social inclusion is important to older people’s quality of life and independence. Older people want to have good relationships with their families and friends, they want to have a role, they want to feel useful and that they are needed and they want to be treated with respect. Being able to participate and make a positive contribution to community and society are essential to independence and therefore individual’s dignity. The key to social inclusion is to involve older people at all levels of service planning and delivery. This is an important part of getting it right. Older people who are more socially isolated have poorer health and increased mortality. Social inclusion is about being a part of a community, it’s strong ties and communication.
Including older people from diverse communities ensures that they are able to contribute their own knowledge and skills. This means that their needs will not be overlooked. Social inclusion is about belonging to network of relationships that is understanding and that are considerate of good health and positive wellbeing. A society that is socially inclusive is one where individuals feel that they are valued, where their differences are respected and where their needs are met in order for them to live in dignity. Being socially connected means that individuals have more positive feelings of self-worth, they are more effective and live more involved and accomplished lives.