Loneliness is not just a passing feeling. For hundreds of thousands of older people in Israel it is daily life — whole days with not one conversation, no visit, nobody to ask "how are you?". At Yamim Tovim Ashdod we meet that loneliness every day, and we know one thing for certain: it can be changed.
What is loneliness in older age?
Loneliness is the gap between the relationships a person wants and the ones they actually have. In later life that gap can open all at once — a spouse dies, children live far away, friends pass on, and failing mobility makes leaving the house hard. Someone who was surrounded by people all their life can find themselves, within a few years, alone between four walls.
It is worth separating two things: loneliness, the subjective feeling of being cut off, and social isolation, the objective state of having few contacts. A person can live alone and not feel lonely, and equally can be surrounded by people and still feel profoundly lonely. Both deserve attention.
The signs worth noticing
Loneliness in older people is rarely announced out loud. Usually it hides behind signs that are easy to miss:
- Letting appearance or the home go — when there is no one to go out to and no one coming, the motivation to keep up daily life disappears.
- Changes in eating — skipped meals, weight loss, an empty fridge.
- Sleeping or waking at odd hours — with no shape to the day, the body clock drifts.
- Avoiding going out even when it is physically possible.
- Unusually long phone calls with whoever rings — a sign of real hunger for human contact.
- Talk of "not wanting to be a burden" — many hide their loneliness so as not to trouble anyone.
If you recognise several of these in a parent, a neighbour or an acquaintance, that is the moment to move closer, not further away.
Why loneliness is a health matter, not only an emotional one
Research in recent years shows that prolonged loneliness harms physical health as much as well-known risk factors. It is associated with raised blood pressure, a weakened immune system, a higher risk of dementia and depression, and even earlier death. The line about loneliness being "as harmful as a pack of cigarettes a day" is not a turn of phrase — it reflects real findings.
The implication is clear: addressing loneliness is not an emotional luxury but a genuine health need. A regular weekly visit, a warm conversation, the sense that somebody counts you — these are medicine with no side effects.
How can you help?
The good news is that any of us can make a difference, with no special training:
Give time regularly
Consistency matters more than the length of the visit. Half an hour on the same day every week creates an anchor — something to look forward to. Among the older people we accompany on our home visits, we see again and again how knowing that "Ronit comes on Tuesday" restores order and hope to a whole week.
Really listen
You do not need to solve anything. Most of all, what a lonely older person needs is an ear — someone curious about their life, who remembers details, who treats them as a whole person and not as a "case".
Connect them to a community
Help getting to a social gathering, a class or a community event can open the door to new relationships. Sometimes all that is missing is company for the first time or two, until the confidence comes back.
Join the people already doing it
If you have no older relative who needs help, you can volunteer with us and reach the older people waiting for exactly this. A donation to the charity also turns directly into home visits, food parcels and the work that breaks the loneliness of those who have nobody.
No one should be alone
Loneliness in older age is a large problem — but it is solved one person at a time. One visit, one conversation, one smile. At Yamim Tovim Ashdod we believe every older person deserves to live with dignity, warmth and a sense of belonging — and that all of us can be part of that.
Would you like to help a lonely older person in the Ashdod area? Get in touch and we will gladly tell you how to start.