Elderly suffer in silence

Older people are suffering in silence because of the stigma surrounding loneliness, a campaign group has warned.

Many older folk are not opening up about their situation so are not seeking help, the Campaign to End Loneliness said.

A new poll conducted by the campaign found nine in 10 think people are scared to admit that they are lonely.

Almost two in three said they personally know someone who is lonely.

Meanwhile 13% of the 1,000 British people polled said they felt lonely “all of the time”.

“The taboo and stigma around loneliness is stopping vulnerable people from opening up about their situation,” said Marcus Rand, director of the Campaign to End Loneliness.

“This in turn makes it very difficult for local authorities and other support organisations to find the missing million older people who need our help.

“The Campaign to End Loneliness has developed a step-by-step guide to help local authorities and stakeholders identify the hidden lonely.

“We need to create a movement for change that breaks down the stigma of loneliness and addresses it head on.”