Tackling loneliness to boost mental health
Today marks the start of Mental Health Awareness week and the theme this year is loneliness.
Right now in Scotland loneliness among older people is at record levels – 100,000 older people say they feel lonely all or most of the time. Two years of Covid lockdowns and living under restrictions which prevented older people seeing family and friends have left countless older people feeling acutely alone.
Loneliness is more than an underlying feeling. It has a devastating impact on physical and mental health. Chronic loneliness, experienced by so many older people, can lead to anxiety, stress, insomnia, poor diet, depression and it doubles the risk of dementia.
Now that Covid restrictions have lifted, and life is returning to the pre-pandemic normal, Age Scotland is focussing on tackling soaring levels loneliness by helping older people to reconnect with family, friends and their communities.
Many of our member groups are up and running again, holding face to face events and enjoying seeing people again after such a long time apart. Understandably some older people are still cautious about meeting up in groups, but with sensible precautions in place, the benefits of a good natter with friends and getting to know new people give a real boost to mental wellbeing, as well as reducing loneliness.
For those who aren’t able to, or don’t want to, attend group events the Age Scotland friendship line is here to help. Older people looking for a friendly chat or a listening ear can call the friendship line on 0800 12 44 222. Regular users of the service say it helps them feel less alone and they look forward to their weekly blether.
Members of the ex-service community who are over 50 can also join a comradeship circle, a telephone conversation with other former veterans, which are facilitated by volunteers, and allow older veterans to share stories and feel a sense of camaraderie with others from an ex-service background. More information is available from the Age Scotland helpline on 0800 12 44 222.
Tackling loneliness through member group activity, the friendship line and comradeship circles is at the heart of Age Scotland’s work but we can’t do it alone. There are 200,000 older people in Scotland who don’t see or speak to anyone for days at a time and, statistically, there is at least one lonely older person on every street in the country.
Everyone can play their part, by picking up the phone to an older friend or neighbour, popping round for a cup of tea and a chat, letting an older person know they are not forgotten. Even the smallest gestures are appreciated and can play a part in improving someone’s mental wellbeing and making them feel less lonely.
