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Esther Rantzen The Silver Line
woofwoof77
Posts: 2,166 Forum Member
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http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/esther-rantzen-silver-line---2848505
Esther has set up a new help line for the elderly who are esp lonely. They can phone for a chat, advice or report abuse.
I think this is a great idea and wish her every success with it, loneliness is such an awful thing.
Now, so there's a helpline for children (childline) and now the elderly but what about us lot in between ?
I was just thinking , there's a lot more people now in their 30s,40s 50s even people in their 20s who are very lonely ,who aren't 'bad enough' to call Samaritans but just want to talk to someone ....I dunno just seems we're being left out.
I guess you could say, well if you're lonely go see a counsellor, but you could've said that for the elderly too!
Or 'go make some friends' yeah not that easy for some.
I don't know why this 'loneliness' thing is being restricted age wise.
Maybe I should set my own help line up for the age bracket that's been left out 20-50
Esther has set up a new help line for the elderly who are esp lonely. They can phone for a chat, advice or report abuse.
I think this is a great idea and wish her every success with it, loneliness is such an awful thing.
Now, so there's a helpline for children (childline) and now the elderly but what about us lot in between ?
I was just thinking , there's a lot more people now in their 30s,40s 50s even people in their 20s who are very lonely ,who aren't 'bad enough' to call Samaritans but just want to talk to someone ....I dunno just seems we're being left out.
I guess you could say, well if you're lonely go see a counsellor, but you could've said that for the elderly too!
Or 'go make some friends' yeah not that easy for some.
I don't know why this 'loneliness' thing is being restricted age wise.
Maybe I should set my own help line up for the age bracket that's been left out 20-50
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I agree but some younger people have confidence issues and won't ask for help.
I would just like to say though, that not all people who live alone and don't make much contact with other people are lonely. I'm sure most of them ARE lonely, just not all of them. Many want a period of independence and isolation or get fed up with the rest of society and prefer to be left to their own devices.
I often hear campaigners talking about the number of people who live alone as if it were a disgrace when most of them are single people who have bought or rented their home precisely to have it to themselves. This group have opted to live by themselves, don't want to be partnered or married, or are recently divorced or widowed and want to be independent for a bit.
I also hear them saying that some people have not seen anyone for a month and are isolated. My late widowed mum constantly got neighbours or kind hearted callers at her door inviting her for coffee or to events and declined them ALL! She was not lonely, she saw her children and family from time to time though none of us lived locally. but she would ask us in frustration: why do all these dreadful people keep annoying me, I am too busy to waste my time socialising with people I don't want to meet! Actually, the people were not dreadful, they were usually much younger and doing a good deed by taking pity on what they perceived as an old lady's isolation. In her view she'd rather read and listen to Radio 4 and go out for a walk by herself than have to listen to trite conversation about X Factor or Big Brother 'celebrities' she'd never heard of! That was just her. She was really happy. So - just saying - we're not all the same.
Clearly, it doesn't presume that no-one else suffers problems, but a bit like Childline, it's designed with the specific needs of a specific section of society. It's not trying to be everything to everyone, or trying to make out that no-one else has problems.
One of the nice ideas is that people can get a regular phone-call for general chatting. I wouldn't be surprised if a natural follow-on is that some of these older people are paired up with each other if a volunteer realises they share interests. Kind of a "dating agency", but for friendships.
There is nothing to stop you.
That's me
Very true, and it seems there's greater pressure than ever on young people to look 'great', be 'cool' and have the right image. No wonder many suffer from loads of insecurities.