Dear LPG,

We have so many places where news and statistics are to be found these days, and one of the most depressing statistics is the fact that so many elderly people are so lonely.

Not getting out of the house enough can be a slippery slope as we get older.  When I was younger, like everyone else, even if I did not go out socially I had to make the effort to go to work. 

Do you remember those days when you staggered out of bed after being shocked back to life by the jarring sound of the alarm clock, took a few minutes to remember where you were and what you were supposed to be doing before taking a look out of the window to find a cold, rainy morning to greet you? Back then you were not deterred from getting dressed and getting out because you had a definite place to go.

 In retirement there is no ‘have to’ aspect and for many that means that such a scene can persuade you that it is worth avoiding the outside world.  Then, as winter sets in and the days get shorter, it can be that you lose the ‘get up and go’ to go out anywhere.

The secret is having somewhere to go and something to do and you have to organise that.  So it is vital to keep in touch with friends and make new ones as the old ones drift away and get out and about.  Always having ‘something to look forward to’ is another important feature of any plan of action, and planning is the way forward.  So if you are the person who attends a club but ducks out of getting involved with the summer coach trips as soon as they are mentioned, stop that for a start! Put your name down.  They say a change is as good as a rest and even if the trip only consists of a coach journey, a walk round a seaside town, a couple of seaside rocks that you buy to take back for the grandchildren and getting home after a long tiring trip, there will be many memories to be made along the way.  

So my advice is to get out and about and start to make your plans as soon as the opportunity arises.  

GW, Grove Park

LPG did a little research.  Why not be the one to suggest that your club or day centre put a plan in place for next summer or even next month? 

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