As this week marks the start of Loneliness Awareness Week, here at Premier Community we wanted to share how our care service aims to counteract the feeling of loneliness thanks to our amazing carers. 

The theme this year being ‘Random Acts of Connection’ let’s consider ways to be selfless and the impact on offering someone later in life some of your time to combat this feeling.

Below are a few ways to combat the overwhelming feeling of isolation starting with a couple of statistics to show that loneliness is something we need to shine a light on and work together to break the taboo and get conversations started.

1. Visit the Supermarket

Age UK completed some research and established that nearly one in ten older people visit the supermarket to have a chat with the staff or other shoppers. This statistic shows that the feeling of isolation can be so disconnecting and something as simple as going to the shops is a way of avoiding the feeling of loneliness.

2. Take Public Transport

Another statistic shows that 440,000 people will use public transport so they can have a conversation with someone. This staggering number is the purpose for a campaign such as Loneliness Awareness Week, to bring attention and give a gentle reminder to those who know someone older in their life. You could maybe give some minutes from your busy day into their quiet day to have a positive impact.

3. Distractions

Another way to minimise the feeling of loneliness is by giving yourself distractions. These can be as little as finding a new TV series to binge to take your mind elsewhere for a few hours.

You could even distract yourself by practicing some self-care. There are endless ways to practice self- care as that phrase covers many different meanings, such as physical activity, learning new things, and practicing mindfulness are just a few examples of areas to focus your mind on. These activities can boost your mood and improve your health by creating distractions.

4. Have a friendly chat

The Silver Line Helpline, founded by Dame Esther Rantzen and now part of Age UK, is free and available 24 hours a day for any older person who would like a friendly chat. Please call: 0800 4 70 80 90.

This helpline gives anyone aged 55 or over the opportunity to access support or enjoy a long enriching conversation. Visit https://www.thesilverline.org.uk/ to read more on people’s experiences with The Silver Helpline and their impact.

5. Pursue Hobbies and Interests

You could find yourself a new hobby to engage in, whether that be engaging in jigsaw puzzles, learning an instrument or getting in the garden and completing some simple gardening tasks.

You can visit one of our previous blog posts for some inspiration on what you can get up to on those warmer days in your garden.  https://www.premiercommunity.co.uk/s/stories/simple-spring-gardening-tasks-for-elderly-or-disabled-individuals

These five ways are just some ideas to consider to keep loneliness at bay and not let the feeling consume you every day. Loneliness Awareness Week is a perfect way to spark those conversations and make connections across the UK.

Here at Premier Community, we offer companionship care. This is a service we offer as sometimes all we need is someone with a friendly and familiar face to keep us company, we appreciate this may look different to different people.

Our aim is to provide a comforting presence to lift your spirits is at the heart of what we aim to achieve.

If you think you or a loved one could benefit from the companionship services we have to offer from one of our amazing carers, visit the link to read more about this and what else we have to offer. https://www.premiercommunity.co.uk/companionship-care