ONE IN EIGHT OVER-55s REGULARLY FEEL LONELY AND ISOLATED DURING COVID-19

The ongoing Covid-19 pandemic has heightened existing feelings of loneliness and isolation among people aged 55 and over, according to a new report by affordable housing provider Central and Cecil (C&C).

The C&C Loneliness and Isolation report, published today, includes findings from a study of 250 residents living at C&C sheltered housing schemes across London. All residents are aged 55 or over, most live alone and many are classified as ‘vulnerable’ or ‘extremely vulnerable’ to the Covid-19 virus.

The results show:

29% of residents had felt feelings of loneliness and/or isolation at least once a month even prior to the Covid-19 pandemic. This rose to 38% since the first lockdown started in March 2020.
Three-quarters of residents who already felt lonely or isolated monthly stated that these feelings had intensified during the pandemic.
12% of residents now report feelings of loneliness or isolation daily or weekly.

The extent to which residents report loneliness and isolation on a daily/weekly or monthly basis suggests that the problem is more serious than other studies might suggest. For example, the latest available ONS research (from November 2020) cited 8% as always/often feeling lonely (12% in the C&C report) while a Mental Health Foundation study said 24% of UK adults felt lonely as a result of Covid-19 (compared to 38% in the C&C report).

Residents on hand to offer advice for others

Among the 62% of C&C residents who have not experienced feelings of loneliness and isolation, there were several examples provided of how they manage to cope during the pandemic.

Over half (58%) said that speaking with family and friends was the best coping mechanism for dealing with these emotions, followed by joining a local activity, starting a new hobby or similar (55%) and going for a local walk (43%).

Many C&C residents were happy to provide advice and tips for others who are alone and vulnerable to manage loneliness and isolation. Salim, for example, discovered a new passion for cooking at the age of 70, while Myriam took up ballet for the first time in her life.