During the pandemic, feelings of loneliness are affecting millions, more than we’ve ever seen before. This year, The Marmalade Trust are hosting Loneliness Awareness Week from 14th – 18th of June to recognise and raise awareness of loneliness. With their help, we were able to put together this brief article on loneliness and its effects.
Loneliness is a general sense of isolation or disconnection from others, or a feeling that we are lacking or missing social connections and companionship. While this can affect anyone, at any age, it is prevalent in older people. Nearly 60% of people over the age of 85 live alone, two-fifths of older people say television is their main form of company, and over half a million older people go five or six days a week without speaking to anyone at all.
We may not think of loneliness as anything dangerous but long-term loneliness can have serious effects on our bodies and brains. Lack of social stimulation has been linked to cognitive decline, which can develop into memory loss or even dementia, and the stress of being alone has been shown to dampen our immune system, leaving us susceptible to illnesses.
For something so detrimental, loneliness is easily avoided. If you, or a relative, are experiencing long-term loneliness, we have a large variety of groups and classes to encourage activity and socialisation, all found on our website at:
We’re working hard on improving the wellbeing and digital inclusion of our clients, but we always need help from our wonderful volunteers. If you would like to help the 65 and over battle against long-term loneliness, please consider getting involved on our website at:
This year has been a challenging one, so let’s leave no friend behind. Be kind to yourself, and don’t be afraid to reach out to one another.
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