Introducing Sovereign Assist assistance and friend line to help alleviate loneliness of people from social distancing and lockdown.
According to the charity Campaign to End Loneliness, chronic loneliness affects 4 million older people in the UK. This situation has been exacerbated by the isolation people have experienced due to social distancing measures imposed by the government during the corona virus pandemic.
Personal assistant, problem solver and best friend service
Sovereign Assist, a care line for over 55’s and an auxiliary of Sovereign Property Partnership has been established in response to increasing loneliness statistics in the UK and the threat of isolation posed by corona virus for many older people.
With lockdown restrictions being eased, and life beginning to return to some kind of normality, people now understand the impact loneliness has on mental well being and the importance of communication with others.
Research shows that loneliness and social isolation are harmful to our health: lacking social connections is a comparable risk factor for early death as smoking 15 cigarettes a day and is worse for us than well-known risk factors such as obesity and physical inactivity. Loneliness increases the likelihood of mortality by 26%.
Furthermore, the mental effects are similarly devastating. According to the Global Council on Brain Health, loneliness puts individuals at greater risk of cognitive decline and dementia.
Andrew Fyfe, Head of Operations at Sovereign Assist, a careline for over 55’s,said
“The physical and mental risks faced by those who suffer with feelings of loneliness are clear. We believe that there is a need to provide a simple and effective service, whereby we can offer general advice to help older, isolated people to connect with services that might solve problems they may be faced with on a day to day basis. Furthermore, we want to make sure they have someone to reach out to when they need to, even if it’s not for a specific problem.
Over 65’s population increase
The population of over 65’s is set to rise by 8.2million in the next 50 years according to projections from the Office for National Statistics, a population the size of London. Loneliness is a problem, which is likely to get worse, not better, and it’s important that older people faced with those feelings have someone to connect with, even if it’s just for a five-minute chat to hear a friendly voice.”
For more information on Sovereign Assist please call: 020 369 57 557Website: www.sovereignassist.co.uk
