Loneliness can affect people of all ages, but it often hits older people particularly hard. Issues that are more common in later life – including bereavement, ill-health and retirement - can all be triggers for what is now widely recognised as a public health epidemic.
At Age Scotland tackling loneliness among older people is one of our key areas of work. Our friendship services provide weekly telephone calls to those experiencing loneliness and our community connecting service puts older people in touch with social initiatives in their area.
But as this report shows, loneliness continues to blight far too many lives.
The latest figures, included in this report, show that almost half of over 50s in Scotland are experiencing loneliness.
We look behind the headlines and talk to two older people who are living with chronic loneliness as a consequence of bereavement, ill-health and long-term caring responsibilities.
We hear from the chair of the Royal College of Psychiatrists, Dr Jane Morris, about the deva
