Pathways To Happiness for Social Support - how government can address loneliness is part of a set of tools for communities that are working for a happier, healthier, more resilient and sustainable future. It is part of a series found at http://www.happycounts.org/happy-community-toolkit.html

1. Pathways to Happiness
Policies to address loneliness

2. Pathways to Happiness are ways to address
loneliness

3. Social
Support
scores are
strong but
have edged
down over
time.
100= happiest

4. Let’s look at one aspect of social support:
feeling lonely

5. Overall, we
sometimes feel
lonely and we
are getting
lonelier
a score below 40 means we often feel lonely , 80 or above means we rarely feel lonely

6. Courageous Policies

7. Awareness Raising Campaign
Encourage recognition & response
Measure social connection
Provide age-friendly public transportation
that loneliness is an epidemic condition
Local government take action to:

8. Loneliness Research Hub:
http://pps.sagepub.com/content/10/2.toc#SpecialSectiononLoneliness
Resources for loneliness awareness campaign
Campaign to end loneliness: http://www.campaigntoendloneliness.org/

9. Age-Friendly Cities
1. Transportation
2. Housing
3. Social Participation
4. Respect and Social Inclusion
5. Civic Participation and Employment
6. Communication and Information
7. Community Support and Health Services
8. Outdoor Spaces and Buildings.
Cities to adopt an age-friendly checklist and provide incentives (like
LEED)
source for checklist http://www.who.int/ageing/publications/Global_age_friendly_cities_Guide_English.pdf?ua=1

10. Resources for Age Friendly Cities
White paper on later life isolation:
http://www.aarp.org/content/dam/aarp/aarp_foundation/2012_PDFs/AARP-Foundation-Isolation-
Framework-Report.pdf
Whitepaper on later life loneliness:
http://www.campaigntoendloneliness.org/wp-content/uploads/Promising-approaches-to-reducing-
loneliness-and-isolation-in-later-life.pdf
More resources for age friendly cites:
http://www.who.int/ageing/age_friendly_cities_material/en/

11. What’s it going to take?

12. Acceptance of all people
Everybody matters.
Treat all people with dignity and respect.

13. NO more NIMBY
Nationality
Intergenerational
Neighborhood Diversity & Inclusion throughout cities, towns…
Rich - Poor - Socio-Economics
Language
Sexuality

14. Other policies in the Pathways to Happiness tool series
Campaign finance reform
Guaranteed basic income
Media reform
Massive public transportation
Local food reliance
Village living (cities and rural)
Multi-use zoning
Public spaces
Political festivals
Participatory governance
Participatory budgeting
Anti-corruption policies
Transparency in government
Compassion training for police
Community-based monitoring
Sousveillance
Vote holiday
Vacation laws
Family leave laws
Sick leave laws
Flex time and job share laws
Telecommuting policies
Babies at work policies
Intergenerational care
Department of neighborhoods
Volunteer programs
Mindfulness practice in schools
Social justice awareness raising
Mental health –priority counseling
Same Sex Marriage Laws
Public child care

15. We envision a world where all beings can thrive.
Can you envision it too?
happycounts.org