a requirement in the Leaving Care Act (2000), shared activities. Overall, both partners need to there remains a gap in the offering of emotional adjust to significant role changes. As a result, one’s support, with studies highlighting that 71% of own and one’s partner’s health condition or disability leaving care professionals and personal advisers can impact on both partners’ well-being. feel that there is insufficient attention paid to To consider both partners’ health is especially emotional support for young care leavers (CSJ relevant for older adults. Older couples are 2008: 165). particularly at risk of disability of both partners for two reasons. First, both partners of the older Advocacy opportunity couple have an increased risk of disabling health The Centre for Social Justice has done problems because of the increased longevity considerable work in this area, with reasonable for both men and women. Second, caring for a disabled spouse is a risk factor for one’s own success in getting the Government to shift its health as mentioned above. If a non-disabled policies towards young care leavers. If young care partner assumes more care responsibilities, he leavers are targeted in work to address loneliness or she is particularly at risk of developing health and social isolation, it may be worth considering problems (Korporaal et al. 2008). whether there is potential to align advocacy The majority of people receiving social care also have objectives with those of the CSJ and whether one or more impairments or long-term conditions there are opportunities for complementary or and are over the age of 65. Around half of the 65 joint advocacy. and over population in England have a longstanding health condition or disability, with most people in this Disability and ageing limited group living at home (93.5%) (Lloyd and Ross 2014). Age notwithstanding, people receiving care This cluster explores embodied changes and how in residential or community-based settings are both they affect people’s relationships and ability to at risk of experiencing social isolation or loneliness. live independently. This includes people whose An unintended consequence of at-home care for impairment or long-term condition has made them some older people may be an increased risk for social more at risk of experiencing isolation or loneliness, isolation. It is therefore important for care providers including older people who are more likely to to take preventative steps, as far as possible, to stop become disabled. these issues from becoming chronic. However, this Physical and sensory impairments also requires awareness on the part of care providers and caregivers of the impact that loneliness and Long-term health conditions and impairments isolation can have on people’s well-being. can have a negative impact on various aspects While disability disproportionately affects older people, of individual well-being. Impairments involve people may acquire a physical or sensory impairment a reduction or loss of function and difficulty in or condition at any age. One study found that for performing activities of normal daily living, such as people with visual impairments, merely having a walking or reading. visual impairment is associated with more feelings of Because disabling health problems are often loneliness, whereas the severity and the duration of the associated with the loss of independence and visual impairment played no additional or significant autonomy, they affect not only the lives of the role (Alma et al. 2011: 14). disabled but also the lives of those who are close to Ageing and later life them. For married older adults with a disability, the partner may be affected the most (Johnson 1983). Unsurprisingly, the literature looking at loneliness Depending on the severity of the disability of the and isolation affecting older people is the most disabled partner, the non-disabled partner might extensive, and the same goes for evaluations of have to assume more responsibilities for previously interventions targeting this age group. Isolation and loneliness 15