The future of loneliness: facing the challenge of loneliness for older people in the UK, 2014 to 2030

Author(s)

FUTURE FOUNDATION

Publisher(s):

Friends of the Elderly

Publication year:

2014

This report, commissioned by Friends of the Elderly, looks at the key factors likely to shape the future of older-age loneliness in the UK over the next 15 years. It identifies the challenges and opportunities in reducing loneliness and highlights possible interventions and preventative measures. The report draws on existing research resources, in-depth interviews with six older people who lived alone, and data from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing and Government Actuaries' Department forecasts on age, marital status and partnership status. Areas discussed include: the implications of demographic change; wealth and work; leisure and social life; family and friends; the use of new technologies for contact and communication; and independence and connectedness at home. Key findings include: a connection between low contact with family members and loneliness, a link between poverty and loneliness; and the potential of technology to reduce loneliness. (Original abstract)