Half of elderly people in North East are living on their own
AROUND half of people aged 80 and over in the North East live alone, according to new figures.
It has caused concern among experts who fear that isolation and loneliness felt by some of these elderly people could lead to depression or health problems.
Figures from the Office for National Statistics show that an estimated 45,563 people aged 80 and over in Tyne and Wear, Northumberland and County Durham are living by themselves.
That works out as 50% of all people in that age group in the North East – meaning over-80s are three times more likely to live alone than adults in general. Around 273,578 people aged 16 and over are estimated to be living alone in the region – one in every six adults. Elderly women are much more likely to be living alone than elderly men – nearly three quarters, or 33,494, of all over80s living alone in the North East are female, compared with 12,069 men. The difference is not a surprise as women tend to live longer than men. A woman born in Newcastle over the last few years can expect to live to the age of around 82 on average, while men will typically only make it to 78. The NHS say that loneliness and
People’s social networks often shrink due to retirement and bereavement Caroline Abrahams
social isolation is a particular problem for older people living in this country – and it can lead to depression and a serious decline in physical health and well-being.
In fact, according to charity Age UK, hundreds of thousands of older people across the country have not had a conversation with friends or family for a month, while 3.9 million older people agree the television is their main form of company.
Caroline Abrahams, charity director of Age UK said: “Loneliness is certainly not inevitable in later life but it remains a widespread issue that blights the lives of far too many older people.
“People’s social networks often shrink due to life-changing events such as retirement and bereavement, which can increase the risk of feeling lonely. Our own research has shown that household size is one of the risk factors that make older people more likely to be lonely, as well as age, gender, health condition and disability, and marital status.”