Winter help for pensioners urged

22 November 2012 09:20

Many older people would welcome a visit from a neighbour this winter

Many older people would welcome a visit from a neighbour this winter

A charity has urged people to offer elderly neighbours a visit over the winter months to see if they're okay.

Age UK revealed an estimated 3.5 million people aged over 65 are not getting any help from their neighbours and has called for more support as winter approaches.

Research showed around 7% of people in this age group don't even know who their neighbours are, and Age UK is urging society to lend a helping hand amid fears pensioners will suffer worse than ever this year.

While 35% of the UK's older population were concerned about keeping warm at home during the winter, the majority were also worried about not getting out and about during the shorter days.

Michelle Mitchell, charity director general of Age UK, said: "We're hoping to inspire everyone to act now to do their bit to lessen the impact of winter for older people this year. There is something simple that everyone can do from popping in to check on an older neighbour to making time for older relatives."

In some cases, all the relatives of an older person now live abroad. In these cases older people often visit overseas relatives over Christmas, however they should always arrange a travel insurance over 70 policy if they fit into that age bracket.

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