The UK has been described as the loneliness capital of Europe, with the condition being considered worse for your health than drinking or smoking. Experts say as a nation we are experiencing a silent epidemic, with 3 out of 10 of us feeling lonely some of the time.

So what is causing this epidemic of loneliness?

Many blame the fact that people are living longer, and yet there are huge differences in how we now live our lives. The traditional way of life our parents or grandparents knew, where families grew up and stuck together, and marriages were ‘til death do us part’ – is now no more.

A staggering 7.6 million people live in single households across the UK, and 42% of marriages end in divorce.

People young and old, are complaining that their lives are lonely – documented beautifully in the recent BBC programme, ‘The Age of Loneliness’.

Reports show that loneliness affects younger people as well as the elderly, for example students in their first year of University, struggling to make friends and become socially accepted.

Young career climbers, striving to achieve financial success in cities such as London are also saying they can’t meet people and they feel lonely.Stay at home mums, who have given up their careers and the daily contact they once enjoyed, feel desperately lonely despite having small bundles of joy to look after.

A contributing factor is the transformation from a life offline, to a life online – with many blaming social media for making people feel ‘left out’ or ‘inadequate’ to their peers. On the other hand, young people who are digitally connected, can at least use the internet to help find solutions to their loneliness – where elderly people cannot.

For older people whose partners have died and children have grown up, sometimes their ONE daily visit from a care provider, is the only contact they will have for the remainder of that day – despite many having multiple children and extended families.

It’s very sad that society has changed so much that we no longer consider giving companionship to elderly relatives a priority in our lives.

So what is the answer?

Some young people are helping their own loneliness by volunteering for charities that bring elderly people together, such as contact the elderly – and there are organisations like this across towns and cities in the UK.

Another solution can be for students or young career people to take on care work as a second job, choosing their own hours on evenings or weekends, meeting people and making a difference to their lives, whilst earning extra money.

Older people who need companionship, don’t often get it from their own families and cannot always receive funding for it through local councils. Therefore, it’s those who can afford to pay for their own care who stand to benefit most from a care provider’s service.

But companionship visits from care companies do not have to cost the earth, and can be flexible according to needs and budget. Absolute Healthcare offer ‘pop-in’ visits to help elderly people with a variety of small tasks, or simply just to make them a cup of tea, have a chat and make sure they're ok. The biggest thing elderly people worry about is dying alone at home with nobody looking out for them - surely it doesn't have to be this way.

Experts say that lonely lives can be transformed by something as little as a weekly phone call – so imagine what a daily pop in visit could do for an elderly person close to you.

Give us a call on 01420 769658 and find out how we can help someone you know in the area who need not be lonely.