According to Age UK, more than 2 million people in England over the age of 75 live alone, and more than a million elderly people say they may spend over a month not speaking to a friend, neighbor or family member.² ²https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/stress-anxiety-depression/ loneliness-in-older-people/ In addition, the elderly are not the only people to experience loneliness. According to a research paper from the European Commission’s science and knowledge service, loneliness affects all age groups. However, the elderly may be more socially isolated than other age groups and do not report more frequent feelings of loneliness. Poor health, unfavorable economic circumstances and living alone are all associated with higher rates of loneliness. Last, loneliness is more prevalent in Eastern and Southern Europe than in Western and Northern Europe.³ ³https://ec.europa.eu/jrc/sites/jrcsh/files/fairness_pb2018_ loneliness_jrc_i1.pdf Figure 2. European Commission’s science and knowledge service 105
106 Online Touch Home