Lonely? Over 65? – Phone “The Silver Line”

Silverline-site-logoA free 24-hour dedicated helpline for older people across the UK has been launched by Esther Rantzen.

‘The Silver Line’ aims to combat loneliness in the over-65s by providing friendship, information and advice through calls to trained volunteers.

Chairwoman Ms Rantzen said she hoped the phone line number, 0800 4 70 80 90, would be remembered by all older people when they needed friendship or advice.

The phone line is funded by a £5m grant from the Big Lottery Fund.

“We will signpost them to the services in their community, and by showing them we value them and care about them we will restore their confidence and feelings of self-worth.”

She added: “It is tragic that older people are so undervalued and isolated that they believe life is not worth living and that they are no longer part of the human race.”

Last year, the Campaign to End Loneliness estimated that more than a million people in the UK feel trapped in their homes and around five million older people consider television their main form of company.

Loneliness

  • According to Age UK, 450,000 older people face Christmas alone this year
  • More than half of people over 75 live alone
  • About 5m people consider TV their main form of company, according to The Campaign to End Loneliness
  • Over three quarters of GPs believe up to 1 in 10 of the patients they saw in a day were really attending surgery because they were lonely, a poll of 1,000 found

Volunteers answering helpline calls will be encouraged to befriend older people and make regular friendship calls to them over a period of months.

Screen Shot 2013-11-28 at 17.49.17

Care and Support Minister Norman Lamb said: “In our busy lives we too easily forget the thousands of older people who often go for days without seeing or speaking to anyone, or rely on the television for company.

“This service will help provide people with the companionship and support they deserve in their older years.”

The helpline can be used by older people throughout the UK.

Article courtesy of the BBC reproduced by Packington Neighbourhood Watch