THE LONELINESS EPIDEMIC
It's worse than obesity, poor diet, alcohol or lack of exercise.
It’s been called “the epidemic of the 21st century”. If you’re over 60, loneliness increases your risk of death more than obesity, alcohol, poor diet, or lack of exercise, and is as bad as smoking 15 cigarettes a day. Yet 25% of older adults say they are lonely each week, and one in 10 have no social support. Worse, the stigma associated with loneliness and isolation means it is most often unrecognised and under-reported. We are here to change that.
The Stitch Community is a not-for-profit Public Benevolent Institution dedicated to addressing loneliness & isolation for the members of society who need it most.
The Hidden Importance of Social health
More people say they would prefer to admit having a communicable disease than being lonely.
AN ASTONISHING IMPACT
People over 60 who identify as lonely are 49% more likely to die in the next 12 months than their socially-connected peers, and 64% more likely to develop dementia.
MORE IMPORTANT THAN FINANCIAL HEALTH
The quality of social connections is around four times more important as a predictor of retirees’ physical and mental health than the state of their finances.
BUT IT'S NOT PART OF THE CONVERSATION
When was the last time you saw an ad on TV telling you to get your social life in order (rather than your pension plan)? When was the last time a health campaign warned you of the dangers of loneliness?
One in two people sometimes or always feel alone, and 30% say they don’t belong to a friendship group.
Tackling Loneliness Head On
How the Stitch Community helps
Organising activities for members of the community who are socially isolated is at the core of what we do, with those members often going on to become volunteers themselves.
Stitch members provide a shoulder to lean on when it’s needed. It could be taking someone to hospital, or providing social support to those who need it, or just being there to help out,
Everything that happens as part of the Stitch Community is driven by unpaid volunteers, who are driven solely by the goal of helping enrich the lives of other people.