Saga respond to Jo Cox Commission on Loneliness research
Saga's head of communications, Lisa Harris, has responded to new research from the Jo Cox Commission on Loneliness which shows that one in 10 men admit to feeling lonely, but would never tell anyone.
Unfortunately loneliness is something that is often trivialised or hidden, however it can have a very real impact on an individuals health and well being - particularly as we get older. Unfortunately men are significantly more likely to try and adopt the stiff upper lip and won't tell people how they feel - often for fear of ridicule. However, The Silver Line, Saga's National Charity Partner, is the only national charity to provide a free 24 hour confidential helpline for lonely elderly people. The fact that it's confidential may explain why 60% of their callers are men, and the number of callers is increasing rapidly.
As a society we really must do more to reassure people that there loneliness is not something to be ashamed of, like any stage of life there are times when we all need help and people should feel comfortable with reaching out, either to the people around them, to their health professionals or to charities that specialise in providing this support.
