Tackling loneliness in the elderly

Professor Levent Altinay, Research Lead in the Oxford School of Hospitality Management, has won funding to undertake a large-scale applied research project entitled Tackling loneliness in the elderly: how hospitality services can facilitate social connectedness?

To be undertaken with Professor Haiyang Song of Hong Kong Polytechnic University, the project will focus on the elderly in Hong Kong. Its findings will facilitate collaboration between hospitality businesses, elderly support groups and Government policy makers, in an attempt to connect citizens from across generations with the aim of alleviating loneliness. The project will seek to embed a 'socially responsible' ethos amongst hospitality operators, and encourage them to pro-actively engage with those in their local communities.

It will also give confidence to those who may not previously have used hospitality services so they become more willing to interact with others.

For more information please contact Levent Altinay: laltinay@brookes.ac.uk