Loneliness and social isolation are growing public-health concerns for people of all ages, but the elderly are usually the ones who suffer the most from these conditions.
As a means of tackling loneliness and isolation in an English town, local police forces have begun designating specific public benches that can be used for making friends and having conversations. The Avon and Somerset Police Department set up “chat benches” in two parks in southwest England featuring a sign reading “Sit here if you don’t mind someone stopping to say hello!”.
According to the police department, 17 percent of seniors in the United Kingdom speak with friends, family, and neighbors less than once a week. The police say infrequent contact with friendly faces can leave them more vulnerable to crimes targeting older people, like doorstep crime, fraud and online or telephone scams. Beyond this, loneliness has been shown to have adverse consequences for your health.
The new initiative is set up to help tackle these issues, but also to encourage those of all ages to start more conversations in the future.
