AGE UK’S NEW REPORT SHOWS ‘YOU ARE NOT ALONE IN FEELING LONELY’

New evidence reveals the scale and health impacts of loneliness amongst older people – with 9 in 10 older people who are often lonely also being unhappy or depressed, compared to 4 in 10 of those who are hardly ever lonely.

If we don’t tackle loneliness, by 2034 there will be 1.2 million people over 65 in England who will often feel lonely,[i] with far reaching consequences’ - is the stark warning from AGE UK, in a new report launching today.

Loneliness is harmful to older people’s health, wellbeing and quality of life - the report includes proven practical steps that help.

The new report ‘You are not alone in feeling lonely’ presents new evidence about the scale of the loneliness challenge among people aged 65 and over.  It explores why loneliness is harmful to older people’s health, wellbeing and quality of life and perhaps most importantly, the practical steps that can be taken to mitigate against it.

Isolation during the Covid pandemic raised the alarm about the dangers of loneliness and pushed it into public conversation, but momentum to drive change has since slowed. As the report highlights, urgent action is now needed, or things will only get worse.  

Age UK’s data analysis within the report reveals the scale of the problem, showing that:  

• 7% (1 in 14 people) aged 65+ equivalent to 940,000 older people in the UK are often lonely.[ii]
• 270,000 older people (aged 65+) in England go a week without speaking to a friend or family member (3%, or around 1 in 40 people aged 65+)[iii].
• And that people who go a week without speaking to a friend or family member are almost three times more likely to be lonely than people who speak to friends and family more often[iv].

Loneliness is bad for our physical and mental health

• Loneliness is linked with acceleration of frailty and increased risk of physical and mental illness, including a 29% increase in risk of incident coronary heart disease, a 32% increase in risk of stroke[v] and a 25% increased risk of dementia[vi].
• Loneliness is linked with increased risk of mental illness including depression and anxiety[vii].
• Nine in 10 older people who are often lonely are also unhappy or depressed, compared to four in 10 of those who are hardly ever lonely[viii].

The report supports the launch of Age UK’s Christmas campaign ‘Together we are not alone’, which is calling for urgent donations from the public to support older people during Christmas and throughout the year. In addition to the new report the Charity has released some heartbreaking new statistics that show just how lonely this Christmas will be for millions of older people.

Loneliness and social isolation are year-round problems but winter, and Christmas especially, can be particularly tough - 1 million older people say they are more isolated at Christmas than any other time of the year. Routine public services winding down, shops closing early or shutting completely combined with harsher weather conditions, shorter days, and changes in people’s health and wellbeing often make it harder to sustain social connections.

The evidence in the report also shows that there is an increased or high risk of loneliness linked to health inequalities.  Enduring loneliness is weighted heavily towards groups of people including those on lower incomes. Loneliness is linked to where you live, your housing circumstances, ethnicity and mental and physical health status. At the same time, services and approaches are not always inclusive and representative of all older people, so a focus on inclusion is needed when we think about tackling loneliness.

Loneliness poses particular challenges to older people and requires targeted policy focus. As we get older, risk factors that might precipitate loneliness can begin to increase and converge, for example, life events such as bereavement, living with ill-health and/or disability and caring for a loved one.

However, as this report shows, while loneliness is not a simple challenge to solve, it’s also not impossible.  Loneliness exists in many different contexts and those experiencing it have different internal and external resources to call upon, meaning there can be no one-size-fits-all approach to tackling it. Even so, there is lots that can be done to help.

Age UK recommends cross-government efforts involving local, regional and national government, funders, charities and communities working together to better grip the loneliness challenge. We have good evidence of what works to tackle loneliness and know that, with the right support, it is possible to vastly reduce the frequency and intensity of loneliness older people experience. The challenge is to scale and spread these approaches so that no older person is left to face this alone.

Caroline Abrahams, CBE, Age UK Charity Director, said: “As our new report shows, the good news is that there's more we can do to prevent and tackle loneliness as we age.  Loneliness is a year-round problem for many older people, but one that's often intensified by the shorter, colder days we experience in winter. As this year's festive season approaches, there'll never be a better time to renew our commitment to helping older people enjoy their lives, free of the scourge of loneliness. We can do it if we try."

Age UK knows what works to tackle loneliness, and the examples in the report are a real cause for optimism. With sustained investment in the right approaches, we can make a positive difference to older people’s lives and help people develop their own pathways out of loneliness. There is no one-size-fits-all approach and the Age UK loneliness approach is built on relationships with older people founded on empathy, respect, and collaboration that aim to help someone manage their loneliness risk, feelings, or experiences. That may mean combination of approaches such as social prescribing, psychological support including Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, digital inclusion or Age UK services.   

Alfred from Age UK Wakefield

Alfred, 90, from Wakefield has lived alone since his wife died eight years ago. He experiences bouts of dizziness that have led to falls, and he no longer leaves the house for anything but medical appointments. With no children, and only one surviving sibling, he had little contact with the outside world until he was recommended Age UK Wakefield’s befriending service by his GP practice.

“Loneliness is a killer in a sense,” he says. “I didn’t see anybody for days, weeks and months. Everybody’s working, or seems to, and there are no such thing as good neighbours. It was just the loneliness.”

Married for 60 years, the retired factory worker says Lauren helps him stay connected to a world he would be otherwise isolated from. “I haven’t been out of this house apart from going to the dustbin for about six months. His befriender’s Lauren’s visits – arranged by Age UK Wakefield - are something to look forward to once a week.”

Norman, from Age UK Manchester

Norman, 72, came out as bisexual in 2019, after his wife of 43 years, Marilyn, passed away. Living on his own, and with no children to support him, he felt increasingly isolated. “I was actually dying to come out, I just didn’t know how.” A friend steered him to Age UK Manchester’s LGBT+ group ‘Out In the City,’ which meets once a month for chats over coffee, and organises regular trips out.

“Out In The City has been a lifeline. I’ve made so many new friends. We all get along with each other, we all support each other. And it’s wonderful - it gives you something to look forward to. It has helped me relax and be myself. In March, I was in hospital for 12 days and three separate people from the group came to visit me.

“Slowly but surely, my life seemed to change because the loneliness has passed away”.

Age UK’s research has found that well over half of the older population (7.4 million) hope to receive a call from someone on Christmas Day and 3.5 million older people (a quarter) say they feel comforted knowing there are helplines and services available if they need a chat or some support over Christmas.[ix]

Dame Joanna Lumley, Age UK ambassador, said: “Christmas is such a special time for so many of us, it’s something that we plan for months in advance to make sure we have the best possible time with our loved ones, but imagine not having anybody to even say hello to? It can be such an isolating and lonely period for so many older people, but Age UK is doing everything they can to help stop this. 

“Its Advice Line is there to help, as well as its Silver Line Helpline which is open every single day of the year – including Christmas Day. These are both such wonderful services for those who have no one else. If you can, please donate to support Age UK this Christmas so that they can provide that human connection that too many older people live without.” 

Age UK has also launched a new Loneliness Guide which features the Charity’s latest information and advice on the subject, as well as bringing together lived experiences from different focus groups. The new Guide talks about what loneliness is and what to do if you know someone who is feeling lonely, This can be found here: www.ageuk.org.uk/loneliness-guide/. There’s also lots of useful information available on the Age UK website www.ageuk.org.uk.

Age UK can’t be there without the public’s support, which is why the Charity is asking everybody to donate what they can this Christmas. Together, the Charity promises to help change the lives of older people. Together, we’re not alone. To donate, please visit: www.ageuk.org.uk/christmasappeal.

ENDS

References:

[i] UK analysis of data drawn from wave 13 of the UK Household Longitudinal Study (Understanding Society) scaled up to the ONS projected age 65+ UK population for 2034

[ii] Age UK analysis of data drawn from wave 14 of the UK Household Longitudinal Study (Understanding Society), collected in 2022-24. Estimates for the age 65+ population of the UK who are often lonely are scaled up using Office for National Statistics mid-year population estimates for 2023 to give an estimate of the number of older people who are often lonely.

[iii] Age UK analysis of wave 10 of the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing, scaled up to the England age 65+ population using ONS mid-year population estimates for 2022

[iv] Age UK analysis of wave 10 of the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing, scaled up to the England age 65+ population using ONS mid-year population estimates for 2022

v Valtorta et al., ‘Loneliness and social isolation as risk factors for coronary heart disease and stroke: systematic review and meta-analysis of longitudinal observational studies’, Heart 102 (2016) (pp. 1009-1016)

vi Does loneliness contribute to mild cognitive impairment and dementia? A systematic review and meta-analysis of longitudinal studies - ScienceDirect)

vii www.gov.uk/government/publications/factors-associated-with-loneliness-in-adults-in-england/investigating-factors-d-withloneliness-in-adults-in-england#what-types-of-people-are-particularly-vulnerable-to-experiencing-loneliness.

Viii Age UK analysis of data drawn from wave 13 of the UK Household Longitudinal Study (Understanding Society)

ix Age UK calculation based on data (weighted to be representative of the UK population) from Yonder online and telephone polling for Age UK, November 2024 (weighted sample of 2755 people aged 65+ in the UK, between 2nd and 29th October 2024) and ONS mid-year 2023 population estimates (published 8 October 2024).