In Spain, almost 4.8 million people lived alone in 2019 . Of this number, 41.9% were 65 years or older. And, of them, 72.3% were women. Below 65, 59.2% were men. In total, the number of single-person households grew by 1.3%, which underpins the trend of previous years.
In the future, it does not appear that this will change. Taking into account that the majority form of coexistence from 65 years of age is the single couple, Joaquín Pérez, National Head of the Area for the Elderly, People with Disabilities and Red Cross Caregivers, assures that “consequences in the redistribution are expected of care within the home, with the man with a little more prominence in this aspect ”.
This also points to the characteristics of unwanted loneliness . It is much more than living without company: it is related to the level of social support of the individual, so it is not limited exclusively to single-person households, nor to those over 65 years of age. And it has a strong impact on health, since it is associated with psychological or physical problems or a worsening of them. “When measuring the frailty and vulnerability of the elderly, the factor that most influences is the lack of social support,” says Guillermo Fouce, doctor in Psychology and president of the Fundación Psicología Sin Fronteras (Madrid). Regarding the problems that appear, regardless of age, this expert talks about depression and anxiety , as well as sleep and gastrointestinal disorders , among others.
The fact that the Spanish authorities are designing a strategy – currently in the consultation phase – to mitigate its effects also indicates, Fouce confirms, that the health system is not prepared to deal with this reality . Worrying before the coronavirus, it has been influenced by confinement and fear before, during and after it. Over time, the measures against COVID-19 “may have negative consequences in terms of physical inactivity, cognitive impairment and dementia or frailty,” say the Red Cross, which in fact has intensified these weeks of quarantine its online activities.
The success of the strategy will depend, above all, on a good alert model that allows a quick diagnosis and a timely approach. But, at the same time, that responsibility cannot fall solely on the system. The answer, according to Fouce, must come hand in hand with a return to collective initiative; that is, from a national platform similar to the French citizen movement Red Monalisa, an acronym for National Movement against the Isolation of the Elderly. There are already works inspired by this philosophy, such as the Radars project , which since 2008 involves neighbors, shops and pharmacies in Barcelona.
Did you know…
The unwanted lack of companionship has reached such dimensions in the United Kingdom that, in January 2018, a Ministry of Solitude was created . That decision led to a broad international debate that in the case of Spain prompted the government to act.
By Carlos B. Rodríguez
