Will I be lonely?
In Torbay, almost a third of over 65s live alone. This is 11,521 people.
Social isolation and loneliness are significant challenges in older age. Both can have serious health consequences, increasing our risk of depression, cognitive decline, and physical illness[5].
In England, 270,000 people aged 65+ go for a week without speaking[6] to a friend or family member. In the UK overall, around a million older people report often feeling lonely. Almost 5 million people aged 50 and over live alone in England. This is almost a quarter of the population.
Isolation is a big issue for older adults in Torbay. More positively, in the Active Lives survey, Torbay residents aged 65-84 score themselves more highly than their younger counterparts for happiness, life satisfaction, feeling things are worthwhile, and not feeling anxious. (Those 85 and over score slightly lower, although the number responding was small.)
Tackling Isolation
Torbay Communities’ Community Builders connect people and places to strengthen communities and reduce social isolation.
Recommendation:
Promote interventions that increase community connectedness and belonging
[5] https://www.who.int/teams/social-determinants-of-health/demographic-change-and-healthy-ageing/social-isolation-and-loneliness
[6] https://www.ageuk.org.uk/siteassets/documents/reports-and-publications/reports-and-briefings/loneliness/you-are-not-alone-in-feeling-lonely.pdf
[7] World Health Organisation Commission on Social Connection (ND)
