Helping to ease the loneliness of the elderly is “more important than ever”, Dame Esther Rantzen has said.
She was speaking as Silver Line, the phoneline she launched to help older people, marks its 10th anniversary and as the World Health Organisation announced a new commission to try and address loneliness as a pressing health threat and find ways to promote social connection.
Accepting that she is a little saddened that Silver Line is still needed, Dame Esther, 83, said: “I would love to be able to say on our 10th anniversary that we are shutting up shop because nobody needs us anymore and everybody is in touch with people they can talk to and who cares about them.
“Alas, that is absolutely not the case.
“In a week when loneliness is recognised by the World Health Organisation as a threat to all our health, I think Silver Line is more important than ever.”
The Silver Line, which is run by Age UK, gives over-55s a friendly voice around the clock to chat to.
She said: “I would beg anyone who is looking towards quite a lonely Christmas to ring Silver Line. It is free, open 24-7. You can ring it in the middle of the night or whenever loneliness strikes.
“You can maybe share a memory, an anecdote, or perhaps a joke. There are staff to listen or have a chat.”
Dame Esther’s work as a journalist, broadcaster and charity campaigner over decades – including founding Childline and the Silver Line – has made her a national treasure.
Her recent announcement of a lung cancer diagnosis has not dimmed her passion to campaign because those who call the helpline are “people themselves who have trusted us”.
She added: “My friends have been wonderful and sending me little treats, like flowers or chocolates.
“People are being absolutely lovely and I hope they understand why I am not out and about, but I really do appreciate hearing from them.
“Certainly both Childline and Silver Line are very important to me. There are amazing staff and volunteers.
“If I can help spread that awareness, help them fund raise and attract more people who will use them, then that is really important because they are both lifelines where people feel they can turn when there is nowhere else they can turn to ask for help.”
Between March 2020 and March 2021, the Silver Line received 270,000 calls from older people. During the 2020 UK-wide lockdown, there was a 30% increase in calls – especially from older people feeling isolated and worried about the future.
Among those aged over 75, around 2.2 million older people do not use the internet, according to the charity’s website.
Dame Esther says “it is harder to fund raise for older people” than for other causes.
Through her work with both Childline and Silver Line, she has found that young people do not mind using technology in reference to personal issue because they do not feel judged – whereas the elderly value human contact but fear they may be a burden or people may be too busy to deal with them.
She has also looked at the potential impact of technology such as AI on the charity because “if you run a charity where the demand for the service is so enormous – which is the case with both Childline and Silver Line – you may struggle to meet it and to find the people and resources you need”.
Dame Esther added: “When push comes to shove you need someone on the end of the phone to be able to laugh or cry with you or to understand where you are coming from.
“AI has many wonderful uses but, I suspect, not when you are trying to reach people who really need help.”
Her message to any elderly caller is: “Silver Line is there and it free. You are not being a burden.
“We are not too busy for you. We want you to ring us. You are not a burden. We enjoy your company.
“There is no such thing as a sell-by date – just ask David Attenborough or Joan Collins.
“In fact older people are a fantastic resource. We value you.”
She added: “I think there is ageism which saps older people’s confidence and makes them feel they just present a series of problems – but they are not.”
The helpline has also been “lucky” to have the backing of people such as Dame Judi Dench and Dame Joan Collins as ambassadors along with the Queen, who as the former Duchess of Cornwall and Silver Line patron, helped support callers during the 2020 lockdown.
Dame Esther added they are people who “realised the importance to try and alleviate the loneliness of older generations”.
