Empower an elderly person you know to seek their own support and advice by providing them with the Silver Line Helpline 0800 4 70 80 90.
The Silver Line is a free to phone helpline that is open 24 hours a day, providing older people with confidential advice, information and, in some cases, a simple friendly chat. The phone line is suitable for men or women over the age of 55. If you know an older person who is alone then give them this 0800 number so they can access support 24/7.
The Silver Line – 0800 4 70 80 90
Old age should be a time of joy as friends, children, and grandchildren rally round to provide much-deserved support and love. However, for some as the years advance friends, family and social opportunities decline and disappear. In fact over half of people in the UK age 75 or over live by themselves. A lack of support is made worse for some as their abilities – both physical and mental – fade, making it harder for the individual to go out and seek their own support network. This sad pattern was noted by Esther Rantzen, the founder of Childline – a support telephone number for vulnerable children.
Rantzen, who also fronted the popular TV show That’s life, decided elderly people needed a dedicated phone line which they could phone for support. In 2012 The Silver Line number 0800 4 70 80 90 went live. The aim of the new telephone line was threefold:
- To provide information and advice about accessing services
- To bring an end to loneliness in elderly people by providing friendship and support
- Crisis management – to support depressed, vulnerable older adults.
The phone line provided older people, many of whom, are reluctant to ask for help, with a more friendly approach. It was also a chance for them to seek support in their own time and on their own terms. It didn’t take long for the charity to become popular. By 2019 the helpline was receiving over 10,000 calls per week. At the end of that year they teamed up with Age UK. This move has allowed The Silver Line a greater access to funding, services and publicity.
Below is a message on Twitter from Stephanie Harland, CEO of Age UK, thanking The Silver Line for all their hard work.
A huge thank you to everyone working at @age_uk and @TheSilverLineUK today@age_uk 0800 678 1602. Free information and advice. 8am-7pm@TheSilverLineUK 0800 4 70 80 90. Open 24 hours. Free, confidential friendship to older people
— stephharland 🍊 (@stephjharland) December 25, 2019