Summary
The English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA) has interviewed more than 8,000 older people at two-yearly intervals since 2002. It has discovered a strong association between feelings of loneliness and poor health and disability in people aged 52 and over using 2009–2010 ELSA data.
Around 45% of people with a long-standing illness that limited their activities reported that they felt lonely sometimes or often; this compares with just 27% without a long-term condition.
Feelings of loneliness appear to increase among the over-80s, with 46% feeling lonely sometimes or often; this compares with 34% of over-52 year olds overall.
Read more: BBC News. Poor health contributes to loneliness in older people.
Reference
Burns, J. (2013). Poor health contributes to loneliness in older people. London: BBC News, April 12th 2013.
This relates to:
Reference
Beaumont, J. (2013). Measuring national well-being: older people and loneliness, 2013. London: Office for National Statistics, April 11th 2013.
[A brief reference to this item features in Dementia and Elderly Care: the Latest Evidence Newsletter (RWNHST), Volume 3 Issue 7, May 2013].
