New research from Specsavers has revealed that a quarter of adults in Northern Ireland aged 50 and over are feeling lonely this Januar

Isolation heightens during post-Christmas period

A quarter (25%) of over-50s in Northern Ireland admit to struggling with feelings of loneliness following the Christmas break, according to new research by Specsavers audiology and home visits services.

Long, dark winter nights are the most common factor (77%) with many staying at home to avoid the cold weather. However, a lack of visits from friends and family (46%) following the Christmas break is also a big contributor, with 12% saying they’ve spoken to their family less than five times since the festive holidays.

Hearing and vision loss also play a key role in creating feelings of isolation, and these issues were only further brought to the fore over the Christmas period. Close to half of people (41%) said they’ve noticed their hearing has deteriorated, as well as their vision (47%), in the last five years. Both further exacerbated feelings of loneliness, with 38% saying they felt left out of conversations because of not being able to see or hear what a loved one is saying.

The poll also revealed that nearly half (48%) of people in Northern Ireland felt embarrassed after failing to hear someone correctly and 10% say it had a negative effect on their self-esteem. As a result, they’re further isolating themselves to avoid awkward situations – over a third try to save face by nodding along (43%) and 14% have gone as far as avoiding social occasions altogether. Despite declining vision and hearing, only 8% have gone on to book a hearing test and 24% an eye test. With the suffering of many going undetected, friends and family play a key role in spotting the signs.

To help, Specsavers has teamed up with body language expert, Judi James, to share advice which includes the less obvious signs too look out for this January. “Factors such as having the television turned up too loud and asking people to repeat themselves are the all-too-common indicators of hearing and vision loss, but there are some lesser-known behaviours to look out for. For sight related issues, people typically screw their eyes up more to get things into focus. When it comes to hearing, nervous laughs or smiles can be a sign of covering up that they have misheard. They can also be seen to be leaning forward or sucking their lips in to help concentrate and, in some cases, you’ll see people withdraw from conversations completely as they struggle to cope.”

Also commenting on the findings, Specsavers’ Home Visits Clinical Director Dawn Roberts says: “With Specsavers’ audiology service now in it’s 20^th year, this is a trend we see still see all too often. With older generations struggling with feelings of loneliness due to poor vision or hearing, it’s an issue only further exacerbated as family and friends go back to their everyday, busy lives following the Christmas break.

Taking small steps like having an eye test or hearing test can help immensely in getting your hearing and vision back on track and in turn, help you feel more confident in social situations.

For those unable to visit a high street store, Specsavers offers a Home Visits service which has now been running for the past 10 years. The offering sees opticians travelling across the country to provide full and thorough eye tests for patients who are unable to visit their opticians unaccompanied. We are also beginning to expand our Home Visits service to provide at-home hearing tests for customers in key locations across the UK.

We always go the extra mile for our patients to ensure they feel supported.”

To book an appointment or find out about the audiology and Home Visits services, visit www.specsavers.co.uk