Age UK has published a new report entitled: ‘You are not alone in feeling lonely – Loneliness in later life’.
The report presents new evidence about the scale of loneliness amongst people aged 65 and over, and details why loneliness is harmful to older people’s health, wellbeing and quality of life.
Findings from the report that refer to health problems that can result from loneliness include:
- An acceleration of frailty and an increased risk of physical illness, including a 29% increase in the risk of an incident of coronary heart disease, a 32% increase in the risk of a stroke and a 25% increase in the risk of developing dementia.
- An increased risk of mental illness including depression and anxiety.
The report provides case studies from Age UK services that are working to combat loneliness and 10 recommendations for targeting loneliness.
You can read the report here: https://www.ageuk.org.uk/siteassets/documents/reports-and-publications/reports-and-briefings/loneliness/you-are-not-alone-in-feeling-lonely.pdf