Writing on difficult subjects is always easier with a tea in hand. So, as I sit with a standard but holy English breakfast tea, this week I am talking about loneliness, and in particular, loneliness and the elderly.
I love old people. I’m not sure why. I always manage to befriend an old married couple on a train or spark up a conversation with an older gentleman waiting in a coffee queue. I think it is because I know how much speaking to people means to my gran. My gran lives alone and isn’t very mobile, so speaking to people when she is “out and about” can genuinely make her day. To think that I could be one of the only people someone speaks to in their day, or maybe even their week, makes me think it’s worth it to spark up a conversation, no matter how trivial it may seem.
Age UK have recently collaborated with Cadburys for the release of their campaign ‘Donate your Words’. The campaign is to fight loneliness, and with staggeringly sad statistics such as the fact that 225,000 older people (Age UK, 2019) often go a whole week without speaking to someone, it is hard not to support such an initiative.
They are urging people to just start conversations; with family members, neighbours, or by volunteering with Age UK. I can’t imagine not speaking to anyone for a couple of hours, let alone a whole week. Loneliness can lead to many other issues such as depression, anxiety and other mental health disorders. If everyone could donate their words and reach out to elderly people in their local communities, perhaps such things could be avoided, or at least reduced.
You might be overwhelmed with uni work, swamped with deadlines or issues with your friendship group, concerns about money or any of the other infinite things us students have to worry about. But a 5-minute call to someone in need could make such a huge difference. It is a great feeling, thinking that you’ve made someone happy, so it is really a win-win for everyone involved.
Take a look at https://www.ageuk.org.uk/get-involved/volunteer/donate-your-words/ to see how you can help. It might just make someone’s day.