Loneliness, isolation and multimorbidity – the impact of COVID-19

People aged 65 and over are a large and rapidly growing group: In 2019 , there were 11.9 million people aged 65 and over in the UK, with 3.2 million aged 80 and over and 1.6 million aged 85 and over. 3.8m people aged over 65 lived alone in 2017, a rise of almost 21 per cent over two decades. Individuals without adequate social relationships have worse outcomes and are more likely to suffer from dementia, heart disease and depression. Being lonely is a predictor for negative health outcomes at the best of times, but the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has made the lives of frail, elderly people even more difficult. This short module suggests interventions on how to mitigate the impact of loneliness during the pandemic and beyond.

This course was developed by RCGP Learning. Editorial and content decisions were made solely by the RCGP.