A Silver Lining to a dark cloud…
Listed on November 25, 2013 in Blogs!
Esther Rantzen CBE – photo from Silver Line website
This morning Esther Rantzen CBE was on Radio 4s Today programme announcing the national launch of Silver Line. The service takes its model from Child Line and is a telephone helpline. One of the primary issues it is trying to address is loneliness and social isolation more generally. Of course, this is where we at Dillington play an important role for many people. I cannot remember the number of times I’ve had the conversation about how crucial we are to individual circumstances and what a difference we make in bringing like-minded people together, if only for a day or a weekend. I have said on many occasions that loneliness and social isolation can lead to depression and that this is the real killer in old age. It’s when you have nothing to look forward to and you close down and give up. Policymakers everywhere need to take Esther’s lead and recognise the issue because it is arguably going to get bigger as more people live longer. Finger’s crossed that Silver Line will become a great success. Their number is 0800 4 70 80 90.
