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1.  [Home](/)
2.  [Caring for elderly parents](/caring-for-elderly-parents)
3.  Loneliness in later life 

Loneliness

# Loneliness in later life

Loneliness is not the same as being alone. Plenty of people live by themselves quite happily; the difficulty is when contact drops below what somebody wants.

[Begin caring today for free](/signup)[How it works](/features)

## Why it builds

Bereavement, giving up driving, hearing loss, and friends dying or moving into care all narrow a social world at exactly the point it is hardest to rebuild.

Hearing loss in particular is badly underrated. People withdraw from groups long before they admit they cannot follow the conversation.

## What actually helps

-   Fixing hearing, which unlocks everything else. 
-   One regular group with a purpose, rather than several vague invitations. 
-   Transport, which is the real barrier more often than willingness. 
-   A predictable rhythm of calls, so there is always something coming. 
-   Small responsibilities — a plant, a neighbour to check on, a weekly job that matters. 

## The rhythm of contact

Families often try to solve loneliness with one long weekly visit. Several short, dependable contacts usually do more, because the gap between them is shorter.

Prompting the calls is what keeps them from slipping. We built the reminder side of that; the conversation is yours.

## When to involve the GP

If low mood, poor sleep and loss of appetite have lasted more than a couple of weeks, treat it as depression rather than loneliness and make an appointment. It responds well to treatment at any age.

## The wider picture

around 1 in 14

people aged 65 and over in England report feeling lonely often or always.

Source: [Age UK](https://www.ageuk.org.uk/our-impact/policy-research/loneliness-research-and-resources/)

3.9 million

people aged 65 and over in the UK live alone, around a third of that age group.

Source: [Office for National Statistics](https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/birthsdeathsandmarriages/families/datasets/familiesandhouseholdsfamiliesandhouseholds)

## Being straight with you

You Care Reminders is a non-medical wellness tool, not a monitoring service and not an alarm. Delivery is best effort rather than guaranteed, and it must not be used for medication reminders. If you are worried about someone's health, speak to their GP; in an emergency, call 999.

## Questions carers ask

### Does loneliness affect health?

### What if they refuse to join anything?

### How often should family call?

### Can reminders help with calls?

## Read next

-   [Loneliness call reminders](/loneliness-call-reminders)
-   [Companionship for older parents](/companionship-for-older-parents)
-   [Caring from a distance](/caring-from-a-distance)
-   [Activities at home](/dementia-activities-at-home)

## Set the first reminder tonight

It takes about five minutes, costs nothing to start, and the person you care for has nothing to install.

[Begin caring today for free](/signup)[See plans](/pricing)

You Care Reminders 

Thoughtful reminders that help families stay quietly connected to the people they love.

Wellness support, not medical advice.

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-   [Dementia check-ins](/dementia-check-in-service)
-   [Daily prompts for MCI](/mild-cognitive-impairment-daily-prompts)
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-   [Compared to dementia clocks](/vs-dementia-clocks)
-   [Why smart alarms fail](/why-smart-alarms-fail-older-adults)

More scenarios

-   [Loneliness call reminders](/loneliness-call-reminders)
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-   [Dementia clocks](/dementia-clocks)
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-   [Respite care](/respite-care-uk)

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