Last week, Tracey attended the Campaign to End Loneliness’ summit on combating loneliness in older age. The meeting, attended by two Ministers, representatives from the business and charity sectors as well as policymakers, focussed on highlighting the importance of taking action to tackle the problem of loneliness as people get older.

Research suggests that more than one in ten older people feel lonely all or most of the time and three-quarters of older people regularly report feeling isolated, with serious related health consequences. Loneliness is associated with serious medical conditions, with those who are lonely at a higher risk of dementia, depression, stroke and heart conditions and socially isolated adults are more likely to undergo early admission into residential or nursing care.

Tracey has previously championed the issue of combating loneliness in older age, having held an adjournment debate in the House of Commons before Christmas and continues to work alongside the Centre for Social Justice to learn how socially isolated older people can be supported by local charities and services in Medway and Kent.

Tracey said: “Loneliness among older people is not just terribly sad, it also has serious health implications. There are fantastic charities and schemes which work to provide social opportunities and befriending for older people and it is essential that when people are identified as being lonely they are linked up with these organisations.”

View Tracey’s blog post on the Summit here.