Latest News

Loneliness – It’s Impact on Older people & how to tackle this social pandemic

Loneliness can lead to depression and ill-health, leading to loss of appetite, malnutrition and making the elderly weaker and more vulnerable to diseases.

This can happen after retirement, when there is no longer a busy routine, or moving away to the coast, or abroad to a sunny location, leaving behind a familiar place, family, and friends. Giving up driving, because of failing health or eyesight, and becoming reliant on others, can be tough and socially isolating and lonely.

Loneliness can also happen when living with partners who can no longer give back, either through ill health e.g., dementia, and there is no longer a stimulating conversation or shared activities. Helping your parents to overcome loneliness: [Online], Available at: https://whentheygetolder.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/How-to…-help-your-parents-to-overcome-loneliness.pdf [Assessed 26th October 2022]

There are different ways to tackle loneliness, these are some of the recommendations that might help:

• Keep in touch by phone, invite friends for tea or get involved in local community activities. There are telephone friendship initiatives e.g., at ALWDO Assist and at Age UK, you can call to chat with someone.
• Leisure activities will help people feel involved, keeping up with their hobbies, and interests. Local leisure centres might have gentle exercise classes (low-cost membership).
• Be part of local social activities e.g., Arts & Crafts, Coffee morning, Bridge group, Pub lunch, Tea dance, Quizzes, Cafes, and lunch clubs etc.
• Join computer training for elderly people e.g., Age UK has local training opportunities that encourages older people to get involved. It will help them connect digitally, staying in touch with family and friends, help with shopping and ordering prescriptions, online gaming like Scrabble, or Chess etc.
• Sharing a meal e.g., the Casserole Club is a project that connects people, sharing home-cooked meals with elderly neighbours. Individual neighbour can set up such club within their own neighbourhood.
• To move closer to elderly parents if possible, or have a routine contact e.g., call or visit (human contact). Go out for a meal, shopping, or social activities etc.
• Sometimes going on a public transport might be quite daunting and scary, because of fear of falling, being mugged, or the bus driver might not be patient for slow, partially sighted, deaf, or infirm person. To get around these fears, you can set up an account with a local taxi firm to take an elderly parent to wherever they want to go. There are also local groups that provides low-cost transport service for elderly people, dial a ride, community transport, or volunteer car drivers.

(Extract from the Research Project done within London Borough of Bexley)

Mercy Obovu

Research Project – Loneliness & it’s impact within the People of London Borough of Bexley, with focus on the Elderly people

Oct.2022