Elderly patients more commonly visit their doctors not because of sickness but because of loneliness, according to a recent study.
In fact, half of over 65s regard television as their main source of company, thus proving that they lack frequent personal interactions with family and loved ones. It is estimated that one in ten patients of any age see their general physician because they are lonely and not because they are sick. Many of the elderly who schedule appointments for minor complaints do so because they want to speak to someone.
This research by the Campaign to End Loneliness wants family doctors to prescribe company for lonely patients by arranging for volunteers to visit them. They surveyed 1,007 general physicians, of which, 755 said up to five patients attend their surgery daily because they are lonely. Kate Jopling, Director for the Campaign to End Loneliness, said: "Far too many people are feeling so lonely and so at a loss about what to do about it that they end up going to see their doctor."
"I know many doctors will feel frustrated at not being able to help their patients but there are things they can do. It's time we committed to a more coordinated public health response that targets resources towards better support for lonely people and prevention of loneliness for those at risk," she added. Almost three million people over 65 admit to suffering from loneliness. A fifth say they are sometimes lonely and approximately 13 percent confirm that they are lonely all the time. In Britain, London is dubbed as the loneliest place, followed by the South West and North West. The North East was found to be the least lonely place in the country.
