MORE than 1.4 million Australians over 65 are isolated and crave social contact and community involvement, new research has shown.
Whiddon's Social Isolation and Loneliness report found 924,000 people over 65 were living alone, and a majority of these had little regular social contact.
Major barriers to staying socially active included financial constraints and health problems or physical limitations.
People with a household income of $50,000 or less per year were significantly more likely to be socially isolated.
One in four over-65s living alone only received a visitor fortnightly or monthly, and 14 per cent even less than that.
About 30,000 older people rarely or never received company in their homes, and 108,000 found it difficult to get out and about in the community.
Whiddon executive general manager strategic policy Karn Nelson said the health and wellbeing implications of isolation were a hidden and growing social issue as the population aged.
She said the fact that financial constraints were a major factor was particularly concerning given the health effects of social isolation.
"Fostering close connections within community and maintaining social interaction, interests and activities is absolutely essential to the wellbeing of older people for both physical and mental health reasons," she said.
"Several studies have shown links between loneliness and social isolation and ill health, in particular the development of cognitive decline, depression and cardiovascular disease.
"While it 's true that many older people are happy with the amount of social contact they have, the number who are not is still worryingly high.
"To combat this it is crucial to provide older people with
the opportunities and support needed to access social activities, interest and community groups.
"There are little things we can do that can make a huge difference to older people in our communities - even something as simple as making sure to visit an older relative once a week, taking time to stop and chat with older people in your street or taking someone along to do their grocery shopping can make the world of difference.
"We also need to raise awareness about the huge difference that small and regular gestures of kindness and social inclusion can make to the lives of those who are isolated."
Ms Nelson said failing to recognise the problem and help older people connect with their communities would have serious health and wellbeing implications nationwide.
