The Senior Helpline, which provides a listening service to older people, has seen a 60 per cent increase in its calls between January and June, compared with the same period last year.
Loneliness and abuse account for most of the calls. The confidential helpline, which is staffed by older volunteers, received more than 2,000 calls last year but that figure is set to rise substantially.
The nationwide service began as an initiative by the Summerhill Active Retirement Group in Meath but is now funded by the health boards. Last year, loneliness accounted for 28 per cent of calls, while calls about fear or abuse accounted for 24 per cent. Most of the abuse was psychological, but some was physical.
Requests for information, health queries, family problems and financial issues made up the remaining 48 per cent of calls.
Ms Mary Nally, national coordinator of the helpline, said loneliness was a recurring theme for many older callers. "Some people are genuinely very, very lonely. You might get a caller who says 'I've spoken to nobody in three days'," she said. "People will say, I have a phone but I have nobody to call. It's very sad."
She also expressed concern about the number of older people complaining about abuse. Ms Nally said some older people were being put under pressure when writing their wills.
"Young people see older people sitting on valuable assets and want to get their share. Most of the abuse is psychological, but we do hear of physical abuse and that's very difficult."
Calls cost the price of a local call. There are 10 centres around the State and two more, in Galway and Arklow, will open shortly. The Minister of State for Health, Mr Ivor Callely, will join helpline volunteers tomorrow in Tallaght.
The Senior Helpline is open from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. at 1850 440 444.
Meanwhile, people who have experienced discrimination because of their age have been invited to call a special helpline (1800 317 417) tomorrow to tell their stories. Personal details will be excluded when the calls are collated and presented to the Government as part of an anti-ageism campaign.
Tomorrow has been designated National Anti-Discrimination Phone-in Day by the organisers of Positive Ageing Week.
At a seminar in Dublin, Mr Jim Soulsby, director of a British continuing education programme, said older people would become more active if they became involved in learning. "If the Government requires older people to be more active, then learning is the key to make it happen," he said.
A forum on "older people's needs" will be held in Farmleigh House tomorrow while a cross-Border workshop will be held in Cookstown, Co Tyrone, on Friday. For more information contact Age Action at 01-475 6989.
