The Power Of Connection

Loneliness In Later Life Is A Significant Issue For Many People

According to Age UK, nearly one million older people across the UK often feel lonely, and almost half a million say they never see or speak to anybody.

Loneliness can affect anybody at any age, but a number of contributing factors, such as bereavement, health conditions or needing to care for a loved one mean that older people are much more at risk. Other life changes, such as a reduction in eyesight, hearing or mobility can also lead to people spending more time alone and feeling isolated or invisible.

Losing confidence

Mark Rowland, the chief executive of the Mental Health Foundation, believes that “Loneliness is not insurmountable at any stage of life.” He suggests the first step is to acknowledge that we are lonely, which many of us struggle to admit, even to ourselves. “There’s still a tremendous stigma,” he says. “We internalise the cause of loneliness as being a defect of our personality – we’re not interesting enough, we’re not valuable enough. That can
develop into a spiral of lack of confidence and withdrawal.”

It’s a situation that some of our homeowners can appreciate. Before moving to The Sidings in Lytham, Dr Trevor spent a lot of time on his own and his family were starting to worry about him.

“My children and my sister were worried that I was getting older and letting myself go to seed. I used to see very few people except for my neighbours. I wasn’t myself at all and I didn’t speak to many people at all.”

Bouncing back

As a retired GP, Trevor, knows only too well the negative impact that loneliness can have on health, but he has also experienced first-hand the difference that becoming part of a thriving community can make.

“I think one of the big benefits of moving to a retirement community like Adlington is the stimulus of other people at this time of life. If somebody has been on their own, as I know very well, you can sink into not wanting to do anything. You lose your ability to think properly, and to converse properly, and you start to go downhill.

“Looking back now, I didn’t realise at the time, that’s exactly what happened to me. The stimulus of moving into a place like this can be of great benefit. I am so, so pleased I moved here. I’ve got back to my normal self. I’m not so insular. I enjoy meeting people and talking to them. There’s a good sense of community and I’ve made some good friends.”

Read our Tips For Tackling Loneliness

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