New Government map of isolation in adults using social care.
Increasing numbers of elderly people in Fife admit to feeling lonely.
It's claimed millions of lonely adults across the UK are going unaccounted for as the Government is only focussing on those in social care.
Campaign to End Loneliness is calling on Ministers to measure the problem more accurately.
Laura Ferguson, Director for the Campaign to End Loneliness, says:
"Adults using social care are some of those most at risk of suffering from loneliness and isolation. We know that being lonely and isolated can have a profound effect on our health and it is our duty to better serve these vulnerable people.
"These results make it clear that those responsible for providing local health and care services need to do more to tackle loneliness and isolation among their older populations and vulnerable service users.
"But we need to go further than this. We know loneliness poses a significant health risk to people long before they enter the social care system. The Government says it is committed to measuring loneliness across the population, but we are yet to see any meaningful progress. If we don’t know where those at risk of loneliness are, we can do little to help them, and less to prevent the health issues that can follow as a consequence."
Loneliness and isolation are associated with poor mental, physical and emotional health, including increased rates of cardiovascular disease, hypertension, cognitive decline and dementia. Socially isolated and lonely adults are more likely to undergo early admission into residential or nursing care.
Jack Neill-Hall from Campaign to End Loneliness is warning too many of our elderly could be overlooked.
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