A 90-year-old pensioner has shared his tips on how to avoid loneliness, and it’s a heart-breaking read.
Derek Taylor has been lonely ever since his wife and sister passed away a few years ago.
The Manchester local told the BBC that he often feels “isolated and alone” after losing those cloes to him.
“The older you get, the less people seem to contact you,” he told them.
Determined to stop feeling so low, Derek wrote down a list of ten things he could do to stop feeling so isolated, and has now shared them with readers.
“I thought they might be useful for other old people living on their own,” he said.
Ten things to combat loneliness:
Make an effort to make new friends
Join a hobbies club
Visit your local community or resource centre and find out what’s on offer
Learn to use a computer at your local library
Seek help from your local social services
Consider taking in a lodger or a paying guest
Use your telephone more often to contact people – don’t wait for people to contact you
Contact friends and relatives you haven’t spoken to recently
Make friends with your neighbours
Do voluntary work if you are able
His list now appears in Manchester City Council’s Age-Friendly Manchester Program, and Derek himself has become an Age-Friendly Champion.
You can watch the full story here.
If you want to make a difference to older people in your community, visit the Age Concern NZ site here to find out how to volunteer.
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