Switzerland’s lonely old: a problem politely ignored for too long

Loneliness in old age is one of those subjects society likes to keep in the drawer: awkward, private and therefore conveniently out of sight. Pro Senectute has now put a number on it. On the occasion of the International Day of Older Persons, the organisation says that more than a third of people over 60 in Switzerland feel lonely, and about 800,000 older people would welcome more company.

The figures come from a representative survey by GFS Zurich for Pro Senectute. That is hardly the profile of a marginal issue. Peter Burri Follath, spokesman for Pro Senectute Switzerland, said that most senior citizens are socially well integrated, but loneliness in old age cannot be treated as a side note. Several hundred thousand people are genuinely affected, and many find it difficult to talk about it or to get out of the situation.

The study also shows a pattern that is unsurprising, if no less uncomfortable: the older people become, the more widespread loneliness is. Those without a partner are at greater risk. The consequences are not limited to hurt feelings. Loneliness affects quality of life and, according to the study, can make people more vulnerable to illness. Burri Follath described the familiar downward slide: people go out less, struggle to integrate socially, may become depressed, move too little and eat badly or in an unbalanced way.

The response cannot be left to the individuals concerned alone. Some older people can take action themselves once they realise they need more contact. Simple gestures from others also matter: asking an older neighbour how they are, calling the grandparents again or paying them a visit.

But private goodwill will not carry the whole burden, and that is where policy enters the picture. Alexander Seifert of the Hochschule für Soziale Arbeit said that social participation for older people requires more than interpersonal contact. Existing meeting places should continue to be financed and remain free for those affected. He also pointed to cooperation between social services, doctors’ surgeries and pharmacies, which could work together to identify people who may be affected and inform them.

Urban planning has a role as well. Seifert said city centres should be designed so that people meet each other more easily, with seating areas among the practical details that make encounters possible in the first place. Burri Follath added that volunteering can help, provided people are still fit enough, because it brings contact and a task. Courses, hiking groups and even dating events for seniors may also help. The remedy is not glamorous. But then loneliness never was, and pretending otherwise has not exactly solved it.

Written by Freya Stensrud freya.stensrud@alpineweekly.com