community
The role of homeshare for older people during and post-pandemic
Flo and Luciana have built a friendship through home sharing in the pandemic that has seen them litter picking together in the local park. For anyone who can live independently with just a little help around the house and would like more company, Homeshare could be a valuable solution. What is homeshare? It’s incredibly beneficial […]
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Avoiding loneliness during the coronavirus pandemic
Updated September 2020 Loneliness amongst older people was a growing crisis before the arrival of COVID-19. Even though some services have been re-opened, the path of the virus means that we are likely to see the likes of community centres, libraries, restaurants and coffee shops providing limited if any services for some time to come. […]
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Why and how to enjoy a great social life at any age
While doom and gloom often feature in stories about our older population, the truth is a little different. According to new research* from Royal Voluntary Service, the national volunteering charity, millions of Britain’s older people are refusing to let age get in the way of an active social life and new friendships. Over 80% of […]
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Practical projects bring people together in Men’s Sheds
Workshop spaces where people can work side by side on personal and community projects are growing fast around the country. Men’s Sheds are a great opportunity to share and learn new skills, enjoy new achievements and make new friends. What are Men’s Sheds? Men’s Sheds, or Men in Sheds, are opening up at more than […]
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Is loneliness now an epidemic among the elderly?
Loneliness among the UK’s ageing population is widely publicised as a health hazard which can increase the risk of depression, dementia and heart attacks. The size of the loneliness challenge The Campaign to End Loneliness reports that 10% of those aged over 65 are chronically lonely while Age UK has found that almost a million […]
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How can we reduce loneliness among the elderly?
The When They Get Older team recently had the chance to contribute their expertise to a project run by Interact Arts Community Interest Company called “Behind Closed Doors” which focused on the issues faced by elderly who live on their own. We were asked to create a factsheet from our Loneliness Guide condensing the information […]
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What are the retirement housing options for my parents?
Life is not a matter of one giant leap from independent living at home to taking up residence in a care home. The choices can be confusing though. We give you a starting point to explore what the options are for your parents and how to decide what they need at any point in their […]
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Retiring to the country – 8 things to discuss before your parents decide
Written by Kathy Lawrence Moving to a rural area can be a cherished dream for retirement. But what are the pitfalls and how can they be avoided? We asked for advice from the team behind the “Over the Hill” campaign, which aims to tackle rural isolation. Retiring to green fields after a life in the […]
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Retirement living to look forward to
Sara McKee, Founder and Director of Evermore, shares her vision for the future of retirement living in the UK and talks about the importance of independence in later life. We all want the best for our parents. Whether that’s driven by a sense of familial responsibility or just sheer love, it’s something you feel deep […]
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How tea parties help to ward off loneliness
Written by Rebecca Lenton This week’s storyteller is Gemma. Gemma tells us how she became a volunteer driver for Contact the Elderly. She describes the benefits of attending the charity’s free monthly tea parties for everyone involved. I’d decided that I wanted to give something back to my community. I saw a poster advertising the […]
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