{"id":976,"date":"2013-11-28T17:45:31","date_gmt":"2013-11-28T17:45:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/packington.info\/bloggle\/?p=976"},"modified":"2013-11-28T17:56:18","modified_gmt":"2013-11-28T17:56:18","slug":"lonely-over-65-phone-the-silver-line","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/packington.info\/bloggle\/lonely-over-65-phone-the-silver-line\/","title":{"rendered":"Lonely? Over 65? – Phone “The Silver Line”"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Silverline-site-logo\"<\/a>A free 24-hour dedicated helpline for older people<\/strong><\/span> across the UK has been launched by Esther Rantzen.<\/p>\n

‘The Silver Line’<\/span><\/a> aims to combat loneliness in the over-65s by providing friendship, information and advice through calls to trained volunteers.<\/p>\n

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

The phone line is funded by a \u00a35m grant from the Big Lottery Fund.<\/p>\n

“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.”<\/p>\n

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.”<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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Loneliness<\/h2>\n