Thank you for your front-page article “Loneliness, the blight on our nation” (January) about the loneliness of many older people. A study found that over a million older people in England are chronically lonely. Esther Rantzen’s “Silver Line” charity was set up to help lonely elderly people but they are inundated with phone calls.
I wonder if older people have thought of contacting a local church or their own faith denomination?
Many churches hold a regular afternoon fellowship and friendship group with a cup of tea and perhaps a speaker. Some churches hold a “Holiday at Home” for a few days in the summer, where older people visit a local church hall and activities are laid on for them, such as singing, table games and craftwork – and a tasty cooked meal is provided. Some churches have schemes to visit people at home, and one Christian charity visits older people in care homes. Most churches, and perhaps other faiths, would be happy to help in this way.
Ann Wills, Ruislip
This article is the latest in our series on Loneliness 2018 in Older People that we are running throughout the year.
