Addressing Loneliness Among Older People in Ireland: A Growing Crisis

As Ireland’s population ages, loneliness has become a critical and pressing concern among older adults.  ALONE’s most recent quarterly report shows  loneliness is consistently the most frequently self-reported issue among older adults coming to its services. This issue isn’t just about feelings of isolation—it’s a severe public health concern with significant implications for mental and physical well-being.

Loneliness in Numbers: A Stark Reality from TILDA’s latest publication

The statistics are alarming. Approximately 20% of people in Ireland report feeling lonely[1] most or all of the time, a figure that starkly contrasts with the 13% reported across the European Union. In Northern Ireland, the situation is also concerning, with 1 in 20 adults experiencing chronic loneliness. Research highlights the profound impact of loneliness on mental health, showing that those who often feel lonely are six times more likely to suffer from poor mental health.

The physical consequences of loneliness are equally severe. Loneliness has been found to raise the risk of mortality by 26%, social isolation by 29%, and living alone by a staggering 32%[2].

New insights, as published in Frontiers in Public Health[3], from the Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (TILDA) revealed that older adults expressed a wish for their own death due to loneliness and social disconnection, a troubling trend that mirrors ALONE’s findings. Feelings of loneliness was more strongly associated with the older adults’  ‘Wish to Die’ (WTD) than social isolation or living alone.  Social disconnection and death by suicide are known public health concerns for older people, but as Ireland has an ageing population, it is more crucial than ever to act on these findings.

As one of the Loneliness Taskforce Research Network members, Dr Mark Ward – who is the lead author on this recent publication – stated “This study from TILDA clearly shows that loneliness in later life is associated with an increased risk of individuals wishing for their own death. […] Uniquely, we also show that attending religious services regularly can protect against death ideation among older adults in Ireland. Our findings again highlight the importance of promoting social activities and networks to safeguard against loneliness and related psychological distress.”

ALONE’s Response: A Call for Government Action

As a founding member of the Loneliness Taskforce, which is a coalition of organisations across the life course and individuals who also witness the damaging effects of loneliness, ALONE has been working tirelessly to help relieve and prevent these effects not just for older people but for all people living in Ireland. In the last year, this network was formed to help feed the latest evidence into policy asks from the taskforce.   This initiative aims to bring loneliness to the forefront of government policy at a local and national level.

Sean Moynihan, CEO of ALONE, emphasized the urgency of this issue: “ALONE as an organisation has been dealing with loneliness for over 40 years now. We have many successful interventions delivered by our  volunteers across the country. Unfortunately,  we are seeing the issue continue to grow and welcome this first step [at prioritising loneliness research in Ireland] and ask for government to work with us to develop a national plan aimed at addressing loneliness across the life course, taking into consideration the need for a ‘whole-of-government’ approach.”[4]

ALONE’s Services: Combating Loneliness Through Support

At ALONE, the mission is clear: no older person should have to face loneliness or isolation alone. As the population of older adults in Ireland continues to grow, ALONE remains committed to providing essential services that offer companionship, support, and practical assistance.

• Visitation Support & Befriending Service: This service connects older people with volunteers who provide regular visits, offering one-to-one companionship and practical support. These volunteers, who are trained, and Garda vetted, assist with everyday tasks and share information about local activities and initiatives.
• Telephone Support Service: For older adults who prefer or need remote support, ALONE offers regular telephone contact through volunteers. This service provides companionship and practical assistance, including appointment reminders, medication prompts, and information about community activities.
• Coordinated Support Service: This comprehensive service helps older adults navigate various challenges by connecting them with necessary services. Through a case management approach, older people can access both medical and non-medical support, resolve financial issues, engage with local activities, and receive assistance with housing and healthcare needs. The service also includes technology solutions that enable older people to remain in their homes safely.

If you are or know of someone who

Looking Forward: A Commitment to Change

ALONE’s commitment to combating loneliness is unwavering, which is shared by the Loneliness Taskforce and in turn this research network. As Ireland faces an ageing population, we continue to push for systemic change, advocating for policies and services that address the root causes of loneliness among older adults. After our April 2024 event, where we identified key research questions such as what the prevalence of loneliness amongst young people is and what are the cumulative effects of loneliness across a lifespan on health outcomes?  The Loneliness Taskforce has created these key recommendations for policy makers going forward:

 Recommendations of the Loneliness Taskforce:  

1. Develop a national plan aimed at addressing loneliness across the life course, taking into consideration the need for a ‘whole-of-government’ approach that captures direct and indirect influencing strategies across different government departments. 
2. Minister to lead on addressing loneliness and the implementation of a plan on loneliness 
3. Commission research to explore the wellbeing, health and work productivity cost of loneliness in Ireland. 
4. Carry out a scoping exercise and consultation to develop a common measurement tool of loneliness across the life course. We believe that the Central Statistics Office is best suited to this 
5. To ensure that investment is made in interventions that are proven to reduce loneliness, a €5 million Loneliness Fund should be established. This fund will help organisations invest in evaluations to demonstrate the impact of their work on addressing loneliness. 
6. Implement the five recommendations in ‘Building Capacity for the Evaluation of Social Prescribing’ 
7. Nationwide public awareness campaign that highlights loneliness and social isolation, which portrays a diverse range of populations to address stereotypes and directs people to support if they are lonely or how to support someone who is lonely. 

·       Create a centralised location of resources on training and education on loneliness. 

·       Utilise local community fora, e.g. PPNs and other forums to share training and education resources. 

8. Support the establishment of a Centre for Studies on Loneliness and Isolation 

·       Allocate budget for research on loneliness in future research funding calls 

·       Support the development of research networking and capacity building in the area of loneliness 

Authored by Alexis Henning Fitzgerald, Research Evaluation & Policy Officer, ALONE

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[1] Ireland is ‘loneliest place in Europe’ – calls for a Minister specifically to deal with the problem – The Irish Times

[2] Loneliness and social isolation as risk factors for mortality: a meta-analytic review – PubMed (nih.gov)

[3] Frontiers | Social disconnection correlates of a “Wish to Die” among a large community-dwelling cohort of older adults (frontiersin.org)

[4] Ireland’s new Loneliness Taskforce Research Network is launching at NCI Dublin Spencer Dock on April 16th supported by ALONE. – ALONE