New data predicts 5 million UK citizens will be ‘digital invisible’ by 2035

Noble Live-In Care, part of CCH Group, the UK’s largest home care provider, is warning of a fast-approaching national crisis: digital loneliness among older people living in care settings, driven by a lack of one-to-one technology support.

As the UK accelerates towards a digital-by-default world, public services and AI-led interfaces, millions of older people are being left behind.

Without personalised help to use technology, many residents are unable to access NHS services, manage finances, contact loved ones, or participate fully in civic life.

While 82% of UK care providers have digitised, the overwhelming majority of investment has gone into staff administration, compliance, and monitoring systems. Residents themselves are often left in what Noble Live-In Care describes as a ‘Wi-Fi Desert’ – surrounded by devices, but without the one-to-one human support available to use them.

The ‘Digital Loneliness in Care Settings’ study shows that loneliness is not evenly distributed. The research highlights that 46% of women over 75 are digitally offline, compared to 38% of men, and that women are also twice as likely as men to experience extreme isolation following the loss of a partner.

Women are also more likely to report feeling lonely ‘often or always’ (7% vs 6% for men), reflecting higher rates of living alone later in life

At the same time, loneliness is not just an issue of older age. Nearly half of younger women (49%) report feeling lonely some or all of the time, suggesting that for the next generation of seniors, technology may become an emotional burden rather than a bridge.

While older women face higher digital exclusion, older men experience a parallel crisis of social isolation. Men aged 55 – 64 are the most likely group to report having zero close friends (16%).

This lack of social infrastructure often follows them into care settings, where digital tools could help – but only if support exists to use them.

Geography also plays a decisive role in digital loneliness, with seniors in the North West and East Midlands 15% more likely to be digitally excluded than those in the South East. This creates regional ‘dead zones’ for elderly connectivity, compounding health and social inequalities.

Digital loneliness among older people is not evenly spread across the UK, with clear regional zones emerging where exclusion is most acute. The North West now has the highest volume of older people living offline, with an estimated 340,000 seniors in care lacking meaningful digital access. This concentration reflects long-standing socioeconomic pressures and places the region at the centre of the UK’s digital exclusion challenge for older residents.

In the East Midlands, the issue is driven less by access to devices and more by a severe resource gap. The region records some of the highest vacancy rates in the care sector, leaving staff with little to no time to provide one-to-one technology support. As a result, residents may technically live in digitised care environments but remain functionally excluded from using technology for connection, healthcare, or independence.

The South West faces a different but equally damaging challenge. In many rural communities, physical bank branches and GP surgeries are closing faster than older residents can be supported to use digital alternatives. Combined with patchy broadband and mobile connectivity, this has created what care providers describe as a ‘rural void’, where older people are cut off both physically and digitally from essential services and family networks.

Nadine Bowman, Operations Manager speaking on behalf of Noble Live-In Care, said:

“Digital loneliness is becoming a national issue that cuts across age, gender and support needs, and it is quietly intensifying as more of everyday life moves online. Older adults are increasingly expected to access NHS services, manage finances, and stay informed through digital platforms, yet many lack the confidence or guidance to do so. At the same time, families now rely heavily on video calls, messaging apps and online sharing to stay connected, meaning those without digital skills can feel excluded from their own family.”

She adds:

“Nearly half of women over 75 remain digitally offline, and many people describe feeling disconnected from their grandchildren, wider family networks and local communities as communication becomes more technology-driven. Access alone is not enough. Providing devices or Wi-Fi without ongoing, one-to-one digital education risks deepening isolation rather than reducing it. People need patient, human support to build confidence, adapt to constant technological change, and feel reassured when navigating online services. When individuals are supported to use technology well, they remain socially engaged, better informed about services that affect their lives, and emotionally connected to the people who matter most. If technology is truly to improve lives, we must ensure it acts as a bridge rather than a barrier, and that no one is excluded from the digital world that now underpins everyday life across the UK.”

Looking ahead, the trajectory of digital exclusion among older people is becoming increasingly clear. By 2030, the UK is expected to reach what experts are calling the “App-Only” barrier, with an estimated 3.5 million people over the age of 75 digitally stranded as NHS and DWP services become fully mandatory online.

Without a 40% increase in social care technology funding, projections suggest that one in four care home residents will have no personal access to the internet, relying entirely on overstretched staff to carry out even the most basic digital tasks on their behalf.

By 2035, the UK will reach the total exclusion cliff-edge. As public services, banking and civic systems move towards AI-only interfaces, five million older people are projected to become ‘digital ghosts’, effectively locked out of essential services they once accessed independently.