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Private sector must step in to tackle crisis in loneliness among older people
Businesses and retailers must fill the gap left by closed post offices, pubs and libraries and offer ‘social spaces’ for Britain’s lonely older people according to a new report published recently by the think tank Demos. The report warns that the closure of these traditional pensioner stomping grounds, combined with cuts to local services, are forcing older people out of communities and behind closed doors.
To serve the 10.5 million people over the age of 65, the report looks to local and national businesses which can provide the much-needed meeting spaces, refreshments and employee volunteering to counteract loneliness.
The report Ageing Sociably argues that there is also a business case for more ‘age friendly’ services, highlighting that people over the age of 50 are responsible for nearly 40 per cent of consumer spending each year and own some 80 per cent of wealth in the UK.
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