Pen pals are writing off loneliness
PENSIONER pen pals are keeping loneliness at bay by reviving the old-fashioned practice of letter-writing.
Research has found that many older people do not know how to use a computer so do not email or Skype.
A third of those aged 65-plus say they have never used social media or email to stay in touch with family or friends and have no plans to do so.
This is despite 27 per cent admitting to feeling lonely, spending most of their time alone without phone calls or visits from others. However, a new nationwide initiative could help significantly reduce loneliness in old age.
The pilot scheme by retirement housebuilder McCarthy & Stone has matched people aged 60-plus. It found older people who regularly exchange letters were less lonely.
Age UK’s charity director Caroline Abrahams said: “The older you get, the more likely you are to outlive those you’ve been closest to most of your life, increasing your risk of loneliness.
“Many older people who live alone do so not through choice but after the death of a partner. It can be hard to make new friends.”
Two pen pals are Leslie Harpin, 87, of Hertford, Herts, and Clifford Hughes, 89, from Pickering, North Yorks.
Mr Harpin said: “There’s too much emphasis on social media these days. Life is for living, not just for Facebook.” Mon-Thurs 8.30am-7pm, Fri till 5pm, Sat 9am-3pm