Loneliness was as bad for a person’s health as smoking 15 cigarettes a day. So said Minister of State for the Department of Rural and Community Development Seán Kyne on Thursday. “The good news for us in Ireland is that the levels of loneliness were quite low” in a 2011 study involving 25 European countries. However, “we all know that loneliness is a problem which faces too many of our people, and in particular older people,” Mr Kyne said. At the seminar, Alone launched its befriending app BFriend which allows volunteers and staff record visits to older people and provide feedback.

Source: The Irish Times May 24, 2018 20:48 UTC