'Loneliness is a silent disease': Cork advocate urges public to reach out to older neighbours

Cork advocate for older people Paddy O’Brien has called on the public to make an extra effort to visit elderly people in their locality this Christmas in a bid to combat loneliness during the festive celebrations.

Mr O’Brien, who has worked with older people for many years, described loneliness as a silent disease and one that can be cured if everyone takes action.

Speaking to Brendan Courtney RTÉ’s Radio 1 The Nine O’Clock Show, Mr O’Brien said: “The greatest single problem facing elderly people today is loneliness. Loneliness is like one of the conventional diseases that kills people.

“There is no cure for loneliness except visitation. It is a silent disease.”

Mr O’Brien said there are 189,000 people in Ireland living alone over the age of 55 years, a high percentage of whom he said are housebound.

“I’d love to see a visiting company set up in every parish to combat loneliness.

“I’d love to see more taught about community care and the elderly in secondary-level education.”

He also raised concerns about those elderly who will spend Christmas in a nursing home but still experience loneliness.

“I come across elderly people who are broken-hearted. Elderly people in hospitals who have been put there by their own sons and daughters,” he told RTÉ Radio 1.

“They decide that the mammy or the daddy must go to a home and that they would be happier than living on their own,” he said.

“Loneliness is a serious problem but it’s not always when living on your own, people can be very lonely in nursing homes as well.”

Mr O’Brien, who started the Over 60s Talent Competition in 1977 as a bid to combat loneliness in parishes across Cork, encouraged everyone to do their part in trying to combat loneliness among the elderly this Christmas.

He congratulated all organisations working with the elderly who are “doing tremendous work” and said simple things mean a lot to people.

“A knock on a neighbour’s door, befriend yourself, make sure they have enough food, do some shopping, send a Christmas card or drop a Christmas card through the letterbox,” he said.

He said that something as simple as giving your time to an elderly neighbour this Christmas could make a huge difference to their mental health.

“No matter who you are, you can help the elderly. Go and knock on your elderly neighbours’ door and try to adopt them at least for Christmas, bringing them to mass on Christmas morning,” he said.

“Mass is very important to our elderly people, and many are housebound or living far from the church so to do a good deed, knock on the door now, not Christmas Eve, and make yourself available to go in [to visit them] over Christmas.”