Lay summary
In old age, loneliness is common, kills and yet is avoidable. A higher proportion of older people/kaumātua live alone in Aotearoa-NZ than other OECD countries and thousands of older people/kaumātua report extreme loneliness each year. Older people/kaumātua prefer to age in familiar communities; however, age-associated increases in disability means that an older person/kaumātua has reduced access to existing social networks. Focusing on initiatives that build resilience amongst older people/kaumātua is a critical goal and many countries are now investing in community-development initiatives, which enhance local networks for older people/kaumātua and indeed others that report loneliness, such as young single mothers. However, although the structure of these initiatives is well-described overseas, successful community-development programmes must be developed locally. This research will co-design a social network programme amongst a Kaupapa Māori provider and other NGOs in the Huntly locality of Waikato, which can be later tested through a randomised controlled trial.