“Beyond Bingo: Addressing Social Isolation in Care Homes for Residents Who Struggle to Engage”
In care homes across the UK, activity calendars are often brimming with communal opportunities—quiz nights, bingo, gardening clubs, and sing-alongs. These activities play an essential role in maintaining mental stimulation and providing social outlets for older adults. However, for every resident who thrives in these environments, there are others for whom communal engagement is challenging, if not impossible. For these individuals, the risk of social isolation is profound—and often overlooked.
Understanding the Challenge
Transitioning into residential care is a significant life event. While many residents adjust over time, others face substantial barriers. Cognitive impairments, such as dementia, may impair communication or awareness. Mobility limitations, sensory loss, anxiety, and depression can all serve as barriers to participation. Some residents may carry traumatic or institutional experiences that prevent them from trusting others or joining in.
Social isolation in this context is not just about being alone; it’s about lacking meaningful interaction and a sense of belonging. The resident who stays in their room or sits quietly in a corner of the lounge is not just being “quiet”—they may be silently excluded from the very fabric of care home life.
Why Traditional Activities Don’t Work for Everyone
Much of the activity provision in care settings follows a one-size-fits-all approach, shaped by extroverted norms. Residents are often encouraged to join group sessions, take part in parties, and share meals with others. While these experiences are enriching for many, they may alienate those who are introverted, neurodiverse, or traumatised.
Residents with hearing or visual impairments, or those for whom English is not their first language, may find communal activities confusing or stressful. Likewise, a resident living with advanced dementia may not benefit from a game of cards but might respond to music, scent, or tactile experiences.
Too often, care staff interpret lack of participation as refusal rather than a need for adaptation. As a result, these individuals risk being written out of the engagement narrative altogether.
Consequences of Social Isolation
The consequences of social isolation are severe and well-documented. Lonely residents are more likely to experience depression, rapid cognitive decline, and a reduced sense of purpose. The Campaign to End Loneliness reports that social isolation is as harmful to health as smoking 15 cigarettes a day. In care homes, where residents are already vulnerable, the stakes are even higher.
Social isolation can also lead to increased behavioural incidents, poor appetite, disturbed sleep, and a greater need for GP and hospital intervention. From a regulatory perspective, it may amount to a breach of dignity, respect, and person-centred care, as outlined by the CQC’s Single Assessment Framework.
A Person-Centred Approach to Inclusion
To create inclusive care environments, we must start with the individual. This means going beyond the care plan and into the person’s life history, preferences, communication style, and emotional triggers. A resident who doesn’t attend music sessions may still respond positively to quiet time with headphones and a familiar playlist.
Small group or one-to-one activities can be designed based on sensory preferences, cultural heritage, or personal interests. For example, a former gardener who no longer communicates verbally may enjoy having herbs to touch and smell. A former teacher might enjoy being asked to “help” with staff training materials or storytelling.
The key is flexibility, creativity, and attention. Engagement doesn’t need to look like “participation”; it can be stillness, presence, or a shared smile.
Environmental and Organisational Factors
Physical layout, noise levels, and décor can all influence how welcoming an environment feels. Those with dementia or autism may feel overwhelmed by cluttered or noisy lounges, and retreat as a result. Simple changes—clear signage, soothing lighting, quiet corners—can enable interaction for those previously excluded.
Beyond the environment, organisational culture matters. Homes with strong leadership, where staff feel empowered to innovate and try new things, are more likely to offer inclusive engagement. Homes that view social interaction as everyone’s responsibility—from kitchen staff to housekeeping—tend to identify and address isolation more effectively.
Innovative Models and Best Practice Examples
There are inspiring examples across the sector of care providers doing things differently. One home in Yorkshire created a “memory café” for non-verbal residents, where scents, sounds, and old-fashioned props stimulated quiet connections. Another partnered with a local college to pair socially isolated residents with art students for silent, observational sketching sessions—creating intimacy without the pressure to converse.
Technology also has a place in reducing isolation. From personalised music playlists on tablets to interactive sensory projection equipment, tech can help bridge the engagement gap for residents who find traditional activities inaccessible.
Involving families can also be powerful. Short audio messages, photographs, or life story books created with relatives can be used by staff to spark connections and increase emotional comfort for residents.
Training and Culture Shift
The frontline workforce needs support to understand and respond to social isolation. Training should include how to identify the signs of isolation, adapt activities, and use body language and presence to build connection. Reflective supervision can help staff explore their assumptions about engagement and participation.
Leadership teams must also reflect on how success is measured. Rather than tallying attendance at group sessions, homes should ask: “Who isn’t involved?” and “Why not?” They should track one-to-one interactions, emotional wellbeing, and resident feedback.
Above all, a cultural shift is needed—one that views social interaction as a human right, not a bonus.
Conclusion: A Call to Action
We must challenge ourselves to look beyond traditional engagement models and ask tough questions about who gets left behind. Every resident deserves not just physical care, but connection, purpose, and recognition.
As care professionals, we have the opportunity—and the responsibility—to reframe social engagement as a core component of wellbeing. By listening deeply, thinking creatively, and acting boldly, we can ensure that no one in our homes is left to feel invisible.
Let’s commit to moving beyond bingo. Let’s create homes where every resident, regardless of their ability to transition or participate, feels seen, valued, and connected.
