On Every Street How loneliness is affecting older people in Scotland.
We are the Scottish charity for older people. We work to improve the lives of people over the age of 50 and promote their rights and interests. We provide high quality information and advice services, and tackle loneliness through dedicated friendship programmes. We campaign and influence on the issues older people tell us they care about. We support hundreds of older people’s groups and community initiatives across the country, and deliver workshops to improve people’s quality of life.
www.agescotland.org.uk Helpline 0800 12 44 222
Contents 1 Introduction 2 Research findings and recommendations 4 Alex’s story of loneliness 6 The impact of loneliness on our health 8 Caring and loneliness 10 Micro actions we can all take 12 Age Scotland’s Friendship service
Katherine Crawford is the chief executive of Age Scotland, the Scottish charity for older people.
The crisis of loneliness
We look behind the headlines and talk to two older people who are living with chronic loneliness as a consequence of bereavement, ill-health and long-term caring responsibilities.
Loneliness can affect people of all ages, but it often hits older people particularly hard. Issues that are more common in later life – including bereavement, ill-health and retirement - can all be triggers for what is now widely recognised as a public health epidemic.
We hear from the chair of the Royal College of Psychiatrists, Dr Jane Morris, about the devastating impacts of loneliness on physical and mental health. And we share ‘micro-actions’ that we can all take to help us feel less lonely and help others too.
At Age Scotland tackling loneliness among older people is one of our key areas of work. Our friendship services provide weekly telephone calls to those experiencing loneliness and our community connecting service puts older people in touch with social initiatives in their area.
almost half of over 50s in Scotland are experiencing loneliness
But as this report shows, loneliness continues to blight far too many lives.
Reducing loneliness must become a national mission and should be declared as a public health crisis in Scotland.
The latest figures, included in this report, show that almost half of over 50s in Scotland are experiencing loneliness. 1
There’s a chronically lonely older person on every street in Scotland
as through digital devices and platforms - overall levels of loneliness in Scotland remain worryingly high.
Loneliness is a very personal experience that happens when there is a gap between the social connections people have and those they want. For older people, loneliness can be incredibly challenging, often triggered by life events and changes.
This is not a challenge unique to Scotland, but there is no evidence that people here are becoming less lonely or significant enough national interventions to reduce loneliness levels have taken place.
Around 1 in 10 older people in Scotland experience chronic loneliness. That’s the the equivalent of one on every street in the country.
The current challenges older people face with the cost of living crisis, reductions in their disposable income and the ongoing pressure on public finances means they are spending less on socialising, and the public services they have relied on and keep them connected are being closed or their availability is severely reduced.
Public awareness of loneliness and its profound impact, particularly on older people, has grown in recent years. The COVID-19 pandemic brought it into sharp focus for people of all ages. Older people who lived alone, were asked to shield, or were digitally disconnected experienced acute levels of loneliness and isolation.
We hear regularly from older people who are affected by these service cuts. Even if the proportion of older people who are lonely remains the same, as our population ages there will be a staggering increase in the numbers who are affected unless urgent action is taken.
While those severe spikes in loneliness have since eased and many people reconnected - often in new ways, such 2
Our latest research from a national survey of 1,287 people over the age of 50 in Scotland has identified that around half (46%) are experiencing loneliness.
Key statistics
5% are lonely all the time and 41% are lonely some of the time The proportion of people who always feel lonely is higher for people living alone (10%) and respondents with a disability or health condition (8%). People living in urban areas are slightly more likely to feel lonely all or some of the time than those living in rural areas - 50% compared to 44%. Loneliness among unpaid carers is very high, with 41% saying they felt lonely all or some of the time.
46% People over the age of 50 in Scotland who say they are lonely all or some of the time Age Scotland national survey of over 50s 2025
Lonely all of the time Lonely some of the time 50 40 30 20
Recommendations The Scottish Government should: Recognise loneliness as a public health crisis Ensure health spending includes a focus on tackling loneliness and social isolation, including as a preventative measure Embed awareness and activity to reduce loneliness across all government departments Develop new funding streams to scale up initiatives and services that are working Local government and Health & Social Care Partnerships should: Undertake loneliness impact tests on policy making and funding decisions Invest in community based programmes that connect people and reduce loneliness
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Rural
Urban
Age Scotland national survey 2025
9% of over 50s in Scotland are lonely all or most of the time (chronic loneliness) Age Scotland Big Survey 2023
51% Over 65s in Scotland who said they relied on their TV or radio for company Age Scotland/Age UK polling with Yonder 2022
Alex Wilson is in his early 70s and became lonely after moving back to Scotland. He lost his daughter when she was 20, and ill health is a major challenge to getting out and connecting with others.
Alex’s story Alex’s career as an engineer took him all over the world, including time working in Germany and Saudi Arabia. He was married in the 1970s and had a daughter. The marriage ended and, tragically, Alex’s ‘beautiful, precious’ daughter died aged 20 from a brain tumour. In 2007, Alex returned to Scotland. He was born and brought up in Motherwell and returned to his roots. But after many decades away, Alex had no connections in the town and soon felt isolated.
Two years ago Alex was at the doctor’s surgery where someone recommended he give Age Scotland’s friendship line a call. He now receives a weekly friendship call from the Scottish charity for older people. “I can’t tell you how much I look forward to Friday afternoons, when I have my weekly chat. We can talk about anything, such as stories from the past, gardening (I miss mine), classical music, or just how I’m feeling.
“I’ve lived on my own since I came back to Scotland. I don’t have any family or friends around now. The reality is that so many people fall away from your life as you get older.
Sure, I put the TV on in the corner, but it’s really just to stop the silence
“And before you know it, you’re on your own. Sure, I put the TV on in the corner, but it’s really just to stop the silence,” he said.
“Having someone to talk to reduces my anxiety about being lonely. It has been absolutely wonderful and made a big, big difference to my life.”
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Alex is suffering ill-health now. After several heart attacks and being diagnosed with COPD he doesn’t get out and about as much as he used to. Other than his friendship calls from Age Scotland, Alex says the only people he speaks to on the phone are doctors, the dentist or the council. “Last Christmas I got a friendship call on Christmas Day and it was brilliant. It was so lovely to have someone to talk to, someone who asked questions and was open to listening to me. “For the past few years I’ve been on my own at Christmas. You just get used to it. I keep myself to myself and make myself some kind of meal but I don’t see or speak anyone. I’d put on that noisy thing in the corner – the TV – just to stop the silence.
Alex has a weekly friendship call with an Age Scotland volunteer
“I used to love gardening, but I don’t have one now and I really miss it. Also classical music. I’ve got a passion for classical music. I used to sing in a church choir with my Dad before he passed away. “The weekly friendship call I get on a Friday sets me up for the whole weekend and leaves me feeling on top of the world. It makes the weekend not seeing anyone more tolerable. It is such a wonderful thing for people like me with no family or friends to talk to. Getting these calls from Age Scotland has meant the world to me.”
Last Christmas I got a friendship call on Christmas Day and it was brilliant.
Dr Jane Morris is chair of the Royal College of Psychiatrists. She believes it’s time we recognised meaningful social connection as preventative health and reverse the “silent epidemic” of loneliness.
The impact of loneliness on our health
pandemic lockdown and then the cost-of-living crisis making things even harder. Both mental and physical health impacts of loneliness are striking. Studies have shown that it can be as harmful as smoking 15 cigarettes a day. It doubles the rise of serious mental health conditions such as depression and increases the risk of dementia, stroke and heart disease.
Loneliness is not just a private sadness. It’s a serious public health crisis that Scotland cannot afford to ignore. For older people in particular, social isolation isn’t occasional; it’s a chronic condition with devastating mental and physical consequences. We’re all social beings. Our identity, sense of purpose and wellbeing are shaped by the relationships we maintain.
The stark fact is that loneliness kills. The World Health Organisation has specifically warned us that loneliness raises the likelihood of developing dementia by 50% and heart attacks and strokes by 30%. A recent Lancet Commission paper also confirms social isolation as a major risk factor for dementia.
But as we get older, those connections fade due to bereavement, retirement, illness or by children moving away – and the toll can be immense. Research shows that loneliness among older adults has nearly doubled in the last five years - with the effects of the 6
It’s time we recognised meaningful social connection as preventative healthcare - because that’s exactly what it is. Yet community programs, social care and befriending initiatives remain underfunded. As people get older and contact with others fades, those who are unwell may not have the support to seek the help they need, and potentially manageable conditions can spiral into major medical crises. As psychiatrists working on the frontline in both hospitals and community settings, we see the effects of growing social neglect on our NHS and care services. If nothing is done to change things, the cost of having to treat more people in hospitals for depressive illnesses or having more people ending up in care homes, will be enormous. This is why we’re asking all politicians and policymakers to give serious attention to our loneliness crisis.
Politicians and policymakers must give serious attention to our loneliness crisis.
But of course, it’s not just about policy. Every one of us has a part to play. Whether you feel lonely yourself or want to make a difference to society, reaching out to an older neighbour, making a phone call to a distant relative or offering a simple “hello” on the street makes us all feel seen and valued. These small, everyday acts have the power to lift someone out of despair and can also give you a boost too. The stark fact is that loneliness kills. But it doesn’t have to. If we act with compassion, urgency and the commitment to make human connections a priority, we can reverse the silent epidemic.
It can be as harmful as smoking 15 cigarettes a day. It doubles the rise of serious mental health conditions such as depression and increases the risk of dementia, stroke and heart disease.
Anne Irvine, 60, who cared for her mother living with dementia for over a decade, shares her powerful story of the emotional challenges and isolation of full-time caring.
Anne’s story
“It’s been a very lonely journey no matter who is around you physically and my husband and I feel very broken emotionally and physically.”
Looking after a family member or friend can be rewarding, but it can also feel incredibly isolating and lonely at times. Research shows that carers are seven times more likely than the general population to say they are always or often lonely as they often lose touch with friends or family and sideline their careers due to the demands of caring.
I resigned from my career to be a full-time carer. It's a gradual thing but you progressively become more and more lonely.
Anne Irvine, 60, grew up an only child in Glasgow and was a carer for her mum since she was 8 years old, but laterally as a dementia carer for her mum over the last 10 years. After her mum died in 2017, she went straight into caring for her mother-in-law until she passed away in 2024. “I gave up my career in financial services to be a full-time carer for my mum and moved into her house. My only assistance was from my husband when he wasn't at work as mum refused all help within the home from carers. We then became carers all over again for my mother-inlaw in 2017.
We speak to Anne Irvine about her experiences of loneliness and her advice for other carers. In your experience, what made being a carer such a lonely experience?
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Being a carer of someone living with dementia was very isolating; post diagnosis was especially lonely as you are both given the diagnosis then sent away with a leaflet to carry on as though nothing has happened. Family, friends and colleagues
are supportive at the beginning, but as the condition progresses, you often find that you are left to get on and cope alone. You also have less time to talk or meet with friends as caring is demanding around the clock.
What made you feel less lonely?
Other family members are busy with their lives and I didn’t chat with colleagues anymore as I resigned from my career to be a full-time carer. It's a gradual thing but you progressively become more and more lonely.
A few very good friends were amazing too, along with my husband. Without his help, I could not have carried on caring for all those years that we did.
Peer to peer support, carers centre, and online zooms during lockdown were a lifesaver. I met wonderful carers, and we bonded by sharing and caring together.
How did loneliness make you feel physically and emotionally? I felt as though I was the only person this was happening to. Nothing prepares you mentally or physically for it. Mentally, I'm still receiving counselling to get over the experience, physically I'm broken. You relive a lot of the journey post caring especially when you are alone, you haunt yourself with ‘what ifs’ and ‘if only’ and questions like did I fight hard enough advocating for mum? Physically, you stop looking after your own health, your loved one becomes your focus. It's left me very anxious, and I still live with 'flight or fight' emotions, you live every day with that ‘what could happen at any moment’ emotion with your loved one, a sudden delirium, they could fall, they could escape, burn themselves, the list is endless. You become a mum to a fully grown, and strong adult. We don't deserve to feel as alone. Carers need more support from diagnosis throughout this beautiful, but also very sad, and stressful caring journey with our loved ones. 9
Communication is so important for carers. Whether that is information and advice via charities, like Age Scotland, Carers Centres, Dementia Support Groups etc, don't feel isolated. There are good listeners out there - finding them isn't that easy, you have to do the legwork, but it's so worth it. Do you have any advice or tips for carers feeling lonely or isolated? Reach out, be assertive and be brave. Everyone caring feels the same. Join as many organisations as possible for advice, and ones that can link you up with friendship circles or other carers, even if only via zoom, or telephone. Please look after yourselves and know that what you are doing for your loved one is amazing. We can't buy back that time with them, please make as many memories as possible along the dementia journey.
Don't be afraid to have a voice, you deserve to be heard, you have knowledge of your loved one that nobody else will have.
Micro moments can help people feel less lonely and more socially connected in everyday life Do you feel uplifted when you exchange a smile with a stranger on the train? How about fleeting small talk about the weather with someone in the supermarket? Or maybe chatting to a dog walker in the park. Building up your daily quota of what researchers call ‘weak ties’ can have a significant effect on our happiness and sense of belonging. Weak ties are the people you know casually, such as acquaintances, colleagues, or people who work in your regular coffee stop. Strong ties are the people you know well, such as family and friends. Both ties play an important role in your life. Your strong connections may feel precious because you have known them for longer, but this doesn’t make weak ties any less valuable. Plus, you never know when a weak tie might blossom into a strong one! 10
It is really helpful to understand that daily 'micro' moments that we have with other people in our lives - whether we know them well or not - have a huge positive impact on how content and connected we feel overall. You don’t have to wait for your social circle to grow, or your social calendar to fill. There are simple steps you can take today to feel less lonely and more connected.
Age Scotland’s Rebekah Ballantyne believes micro moments can help us all in everyday life.
Trying something different can feel scary and a bit uncomfortable but stepping out of your comfort zone in social settings can have big payoffs for your relationships.
Age Scotland’s Rebekah Ballantyne has identified ideas for you to try when you next meet a new person, or spend time with someone you know well, to help you feel less lonely and more connected to others. Share a compliment If you're thinking something kind about someone, share it! For example, ‘I like your summery top’. It might feel a bit embarrassing or unfamiliar at first - but it is likely to make you both smile and might really brighten both of your days. Show gratitude Say thank you and really mean it! Taking a moment to smile and share eye contact gives our brains a boost when we have micro-interactions like this. Offer help If someone is struggling with something, eg lifting a shopping bag, offer to help. They might decline, but you will feel good for offering and your kindness will likely be paid forward. Try and interrupt the usual 'how are you?' back and forth and ask something different. You could try: What's keeping you busy? Is your day going well? Anything interesting on today? Call a friend or send a message to someone, just to say you've been thinking of them We often think about people in our lives, even when we've not seen or spoken to them in a while.
Letting them know that they are in your mind can make you feel closer and more connected. Ask questions Ask open-ended questions to spark conversation, like ‘are you working on anything exciting at the moment’ or ‘do you have any nice holidays planned’? This encourages their brain to automatically search for 'excitement' or 'enjoyment' in their lives. Find out something that you have in common with the person you're talking to Examples could be: travel, food likes or dislikes, music tastes, events you've been to, childhood hobbies - the list goes on! Be sure to take time to really listen to the answer, what other questions could you ask to show you're interested? If you're not sure what to ask but you're keen to get to know them better, you can invite the person you're talking with to 'tell you more'. Remember, you don't have to have the answers if someone tells you something and you don't know how to respond. In fact, most of the time - people just need someone to nod, listen and make them feel heard and less alone with their experience. Trying something different can feel scary and a bit uncomfortable but stepping out of your comfort zone in social settings can have big payoffs for your relationships.
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Age Scotland is just a phone call away
Our friendship calls can be a lifeline for those feeling alone, with older people able to subscribe to receive a weekly call from our wonderful team of volunteers. A 20-to-30-minute chat once per week can make the world of difference to someone experiencing isolation and our calls can range from chats about that fab new TV show you caught last night, a brilliant lentil soup recipe you found or even what makes a top tier biscuit - the possibilities are endless!
Age Scotland’s Friendship Line and Friendship Services aim to reduce loneliness and isolation for older people across Scotland. For those who find it difficult to tell loved ones how they are feeling, or who might not have anyone else to turn to, our experienced advisers are on hand to listen and offer support in a variety of ways.
98% of callers to Age Scotland’s friendship service said they feel happier and more content.
Our Friendship Line is free to call on 0800 12 44 222, Monday to Friday, 9am-5pm, and you don’t need a particular reason to pick up the phone.
Older people can also reach out to our Community Connecting service. They will be paired with a Community Connecting volunteer for up to three months, who will learn more about the person and offer potential clubs and groups in their local area.
As well as offering immediate support and companionship, a call to the friendship line can be a gateway to longer term support from our Friendship Services – such as a weekly friendship call. 12
With support and encouragement along the way, we’ve found this ultimately empowers older people to build strong connections in their local communities.
the phone to chat about their previous experience in the armed forces, or share gardening tips and tricks, or have a chat in Gaelic.
Through our Circles service, we invite older people to attend regularly scheduled, volunteer-facilitated group calls that focus on a shared interest, background or culture. For example, 6-8 older people catch up once a week over
If you’re struggling with feelings of loneliness, please don’t hesitate to reach out. One call can make a huge difference, especially to those who live alone, who may not have family nearby or who can't get online.
Volunteering to tackle loneliness Bryan volunteers on Age Scotland’s friendship line and has been supported by his employer, BNP Paribas with the time to do this regularly. He believes the value provided by the service is so critical to older people and their families, and really wanted to play his part in supporting it.
guiding conversation around subjects, engaging with what’s being said in a positive and friendly way.
Can you share any highlights from your time as a Friendship Caller for Age Scotland? The call recipients you talk to generally change each week, but after a while, you get the opportunity to talk to someone you’ve spoken to before. It really brought a smile to my face the first time I was remembered, and we picked up our conversation where we’d left it previously! I could then hear what it meant to them that I had remembered them, their interests, and what we’d spoken about on previous calls.
What advice would you give anyone considering volunteering as a Friendship Caller? To get involved and try it! As a volunteer it is a relatively straightforward service to deliver, but one that makes a direct and significant impact to the people that live in our communities. I recognise that it is a privilege to have the opportunity to make such a positive difference to someone.
What do you think makes a great volunteer caller for Age Scotland? A genuine, healthy, and gentle curiosity. The ability to actively listen whilst
Find out about volunteering with Age Scotland at www.age.scot/volunteer or call us on 0333 323 2400 13
Get the guide It is normal to feel lonely occasionally. Most people have felt lonely at some point in their lives, and there are many different reasons it can happen. But if you are feeling lonely most or all of the time, it can start to affect both your mental and physical wellbeing. It is thought that longterm loneliness can be as bad for your health as smoking 15 cigarettes a day, and can increase the risk of developing a variety of health conditions including depression and anxiety, high blood pressure, heart disease and dementia.
It may also be useful if you are concerned about an older person being lonely, and want to offer help but are unsure how to begin.
This guide is for you if you are feeling lonely and would like to be more connected to the people and communities around you.
It explains some of the common causes of loneliness, and provides practical advice about building more, and more fulfilling, social connection.
Call us for your free copy on 0800 12 44 222 or read and download at www.age.scot/LonelinessGuide
Age Scotland, Causewayside House, 160 Causewayside, Edinburgh, EH9 1PR. Registered number SC153343. Charity number SC010100.