LONELINESS is as bad for us as smoking 15 cigarettes a day and increases our risk of dementia. There are over 800,000 older people in England who are chronically lonely.
This can be caused by many things that can happen as we get older, including bereavement, ill health and sensory loss.
But services and activities keeping older people connected are under threat.
It is not too late for action to reduce loneliness.
In the next six months new local forums for health and care officials will make decisions that could affect the future of these services.
These forums, known as health and wellbeing boards, are there to listen to us.
Loneliness Harms Health is a new campaign from the Campaign to End Loneliness, aiming to inspire people to urge health and wellbeing boards to act on loneliness.
They need local campaigners now.
As someone that cares about quality of life in older age, I encourage everyone to get involved in the campaign to ensure that local decision makers act on loneliness.
ELIZABETH ELWICK, Rutland Road, Bournemouth
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