Concern at rise in lonely old people
THERE are now 500 more lonely old people living in Rochdale than 10 years ago - putting them at greater risk of social isolation, depression and ill health.
When the census was taken in 2011, there were 10,773 people aged 65 and over living alone in Rochdale.
Now, there are a total of 11,285 elderly single-person households - which makes up 12.5% of all households in the area.
That means there has been an increase of 512 elderly one-person households over the past 10 years.
But the increase is likely to be even more pronounced because the 2011 census counted the number of people living alone from the age of 65, while the latest census counts people from the age of 66.
Caroline Abrahams, charity director of Age UK said: “The fact that there are significantly greater numbers of older people living alone and the likelihood this will grow in the years to come has big implications for our society as a whole and the NHS.
“Loneliness is certainly not inevitable in later life but it remains a widespread issue that blights the lives of far too many older people affecting health and well-being.
“At the moment our health and care system usually operates on the assumption that there is always a close relative ready to assist, but these new figures show this is probably not the case for growing numbers of older people.”
According to the 2022 census, there are 3.2 million people aged 66 and over who live alone in England and Wales.
That has increased by 12.5%, or by more than 150,000 since 2011 although the increase will be greater because the census previously counted people aged 65 and over.
Elderly people living alone are at a greater risk of social isolation which is known to increase the risk of poor health.
A Health Foundation study also found that one in four elderly people living alone have a mental health condition, such as depression or anxiety, compared with one in five of those who live with a partner, friend, or family.
A government spokesperson said: “We’re supporting charity and community groups to help people affected by loneliness and we have reached millions of people through campaigns, including during Mental Health Awareness Week and Loneliness Awareness Week, to share helpful tips and resources to help improve wellbeing.
“We will also invest an additional £2.3 billion per year into mental wellbeing services by 2024 - giving two million more people the help they need, and NHS England is providing an extra £10 million funding to support mental health services throughout the winter to deal with record demand.”