What is loneliness awareness week?
Loneliness Awareness Week is an annual campaign to raise people’s understanding of loneliness. The Marmalade Trust, the campaign’s organiser, hopes it will encourage everyone to make relationships throughout the UK and worldwide.
Loneliness is a major societal issue in the UK. 1.4 million senior people experience chronic loneliness1. In this Loneliness Awareness Week, we wanted to discuss some reasons that cause older people to feel lonely.
Chronic health condition
Chronic health conditions always cause seniors to feel lonely. A report stated that older adults with poor physical conditions or disabilities may have mobility problems. They have limited social activities, so they may worry about whether people will visit them or not2.
For some seniors, the loss of sight or hearing can be a significant blow to their independence, potentially leading to feelings of loneliness. Simple activities like watching TV, reading the newspaper, or doing housework, which were once sources of comfort and engagement, may no longer be accessible, further isolating them.
Living alone
Living alone can always cause reduced companionship for older people. In England and Wales, 3.3 million individuals aged 65 years and older were residing alone, representing 30.1% of the older population3. Some seniors may feel unsafe or uncomfortable living alone due to unavoidable circumstances, such as their son or daughter living with their own family, their partner’s death, or other factors. Having a community or social group may be an option, but loneliness will intensify when they come home without a companion.
Acknowledging the loneliness experienced by elderly family members is of utmost importance, as it enables you to develop strategies or interventions to alleviate their feelings of isolation. Alcedo Live-In Care allows people to choose a a personalised live-in carer to stay in their own home. We will provide 24-hour care, support, companionship, and nursing care for people of all ages. We will also provide highly experienced healthcare workers with bespoke training from our nurses to match your live-in care needs and requirements throughout England and Wales.
If you know a loved one who would like to discuss how Alcedo Care’s Live-in team can enrich their lives, please register your interest here: https://bit.ly/4egmCXj, and one of our helpful team will be in touch.
