Report: Ageing Alone: Loneliness and the ‘oldest old’

A think-tank report examined loneliness in old age. It said that nearly half of those over the age of 85 experienced loneliness some or most of the time, and that loneliness was strongly associated with greater risk of various illnesses and early admission into residential or nursing care.

The report considered practical steps to reduce levels of loneliness among the oldest old and made a range of recommendations, including for an older people’s commissioner, and for clinical commissioning groups to address the issue in their joint strategic needs assessments.