More Shropshire elderly are feeling isolated
The number of people living in Shropshire who feel isolated is increasing, according to a leading charity.
Age UK Shropshire Telford & Wrekin has said there are currently about 10,000 older people who are feeling "desperately lonely" and it fears the number could increase because of cuts to services, closing shops and the changing nature of society.
Heather Osborne, chief executive of Age UK Shropshire Telford & Wrekin, said: "Shropshire is a very rural county which can exacerbate isolation and make it difficult for older people to get out and about and mix socially. Right now in this county there are 10,000 older people who are feeling desperately lonely and the effects can be devastating. As the number of older people in the county increases this number will too unless we do something about it.
"The very rural nature of large parts of Shropshire means that there are many older people in isolated communities who are unable to get out and may only see another person once a week or less.
"The changing nature of our society with families living apart, closure of many village shops and post offices and now the proposed closure of the Shropshire Link bus service is making it increasingly difficult for older people to keep in contact with others in their communities."
The World Health Organisation has stated loneliness is as bad for health as smoking 15 cigarettes a day.
An Age UK report published this month said that only 34.4 per cent of people aged 65 plus are online in Shropshire – and that the county's rates of digital exclusion are the ninth highest in the county.
Ms Osborne added: "Shropshire is a beautiful county and a place that many people choose to retire to.
"This is fine while people are active and able to drive and get out and about but can be a very different story once they are unable to do so and many people start to feel very cut off with no family or social networks near. Of course you don't have to be in a rural area to be lonely, many older people in urban areas may also feel isolated, particularly those on low incomes or in areas of deprivation. Fear of crime or lack of accessible transport may keep people in their own homes unable or unwilling to come out and meet other people.
"Many carers also feel lonely as they are unable to leave the person they are caring for to go out."
Age UK Shropshire Telford & Wrekin offers a number of services people can access to meet others including pub clubs, living well classes, day centres, befriending volunteers, dementia drop in sessions and IT classes.
And the charity is launching a new appeal to try to recruit a further 50 befriending volunteers to support an older person who may be feeling lonely.
The Gift of Friendship appeal aims to develop a range of actions to prevent loneliness and isolation.
They are also looking for more volunteers for to run the IT classes. "We also want to reach out to older people in some of the more isolated and deprived communities and so over the coming year we will be organising a number of pop-up information days when we will go out into communities and invite them to come and talk to us about what their needs are and hopefully we can help signpost them to services and get a picture of what is needed for the future," Ms Osborne added.
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