The amount of time over 65s spend interacting with their neighbours has halved in the last two years, according to a new survey.
Research from Sainsbury's Living Well Index, in partnership with the National Centre for Social Research and Oxford Economics, shows that only 14 percent of 8,000 over 65s speak to their neighbours on a daily basis.
This number has halved from 28 percent in 2017, in what is a sharp decline in the interaction the age group is getting with their neighbours.
In a reversal of those figures, the number of over 65s who feel they are not truly accepted by society for who they are has doubled from 14 percent to 28 percent in the same two years.
What's more, it is not just neighbourly interactions they are missing out on.
The number of over 65s who see their friends just once a month or less has increased by 15 percent in two years to 48 percent.
Sainsbury's figures have been released in conjunction with its 150 Days of Community scheme to celebrate its 150th birthday.
The scheme aims to bring communities together through initiatives dreamt up and created by its employees.
Recently, its Marske-by-the-Sea branch organised a party attended by Strictly Come Dancing's Ola Jordan and Abby Clancy for some of its elderly shoppers.
It was a chance for older residents to make new friends and let loose on the dancefloor.
Andrew Lyth, the store manager at Sainsbury’s said: “When I heard about our 150 Days of Community scheme, I thought it was the perfect time to do something special for our older customers who we see every day in store.
"Many do not have the opportunity to speak to anyone but our colleagues day-to-day, and so we wanted to use this opportunity to bring them together to meet other locals and have some fun. We hope that the party sparked some new friendships and many happy memories.”
The initiative is giving its employees the chance to put something back into the community.
Simon Roberts, Retail and Operations Director at Sainsbury’s said: “Our Living Well Index shows that the older generation continue to see a decrease in their sense of wellbeing due to weak social connections and community ties.
"We hope the residents of Marske-by-the-Sea had a great night whilst meeting some new faces in the local community.
"This is just one example of the amazing work our colleagues are doing up and down the country as part of our 150 Days of Community initiative, which aims to bring back a sense of community for our customers and colleagues to positively impact our national sense of wellbeing."
