There are a variety of issues that can affect elderly people during their later years. One of the most common issues is loneliness. In fact, according to Age UK there are 3.6 million older people living alone in the UK. Of these people, 1.9 million feel as if they are simply invisible, not exactly the nicest feeling in the world.

But why are older people more prone to loneliness and is there anything that can be done to combat this?

Why are older people more prone to loneliness?

There are a variety of reasons why older people are much more prone to loneliness compared to younger people. The main reason for this is that health problems, or a lack of mobility means that you are less able to leave the house and do all the things that you used to enjoy. You will also have given up on work, which is another key part of social contact.

Another reason why many older people feel lonely is simply because they are more likely to be alone. They may have had a partner or loved one pass away and their family may have moved away, which means they are not able to visit as much as they need to.

Ways to combat loneliness

Loneliness is more than just a feeling, it can actually have a huge impact on your mental health and even your physical wellbeing too. This is why it is incredibly important to take as many steps as possible to combatting loneliness. There are a few ways that you can try to do this.

Use a telephone service

If you find it hard to get out of the house, then you may need to find ways that you can socialise whilst you are still at home. There are telephone services out there that are designed to give older people a chance to talk to like-minded folk, giving them the social interaction that they crave.

Attend a group

For those who are able to get out of the house on a regular basis, then there are a number of groups that you can join. These “friendship groups” are designed to bring people together and make it easier to make new friends. This is not only going to make you feel much happier, but also more confident.

Take a walk

Sometimes one of the simplest things that you can do to beat loneliness is to get out of your house, being cooped up at home is never going to make you feel good, so if you can, then jump up and get outside.

As you can see, loneliness isn’t something that you have to live with, there are things that you can do to make sure that you never feel like you are all alone in the world, and instead make you feel as if you have plenty of people there for you.