“I’m 67 years old, and I live alone. I beg my children to take me in, but they refuse. I don’t know how to go on.”
“I’m 67, and I live by myself. My husband passed away years ago, and I don’t know how to fill this emptiness. I’ve asked my kids if I can move in with them, but they won’t have it. I just don’t know what to do anymore…” In busy cities like Manchester, loneliness weighs heavy. Crowds of strangers on the streets don’t bring joy, especially not to someone my age. Making new friends feels nearly impossible, and the ache just never leaves.
Today, let’s talk about loneliness in later life and what a psychologist has to say about it. Maybe this story will help someone find the strength to make a change.
“I’m 67, living alone in a small flat on the outskirts of Manchester. My husband’s been gone for years. I still work because it’s the only thing that keeps the boredom at bay. But lately, life’s just been going through the motions—nothing excites me, everything feels grey and pointless.”
“I don’t have hobbies, and I don’t even try to find any. Feels like I’m too old for that now. I asked my son and his family—he’s got three kids—if they’d move in with me, but my daughter-in-law said no. Guess she doesn’t fancy living under the same roof as an old woman.”
“I thought about moving in with my daughter, but she’s got her own family, and she doesn’t want me there either. Though they’re always lovely when I visit. They put the kettle on, cook a proper dinner, listen to my stories. But the more I see them, the harder it is to go back to my empty flat. And yet I always do…”
Margaret, our woman here, doesn’t know how to break the cycle. Even at 67, her life shouldn’t feel this bleak. The only glimmer of hope is that she’s started thinking about change—about ways to ease the loneliness. That’s her chance right there.
“Not having hobbies—or worse, not even wanting to find any—can be signs of depression. Margaret might want to speak to her GP, a psychologist, or a therapist,” the psychologist advises.
The thing is, these days, 67 isn’t old age. The problem isn’t that her kids won’t live with her. Grown children value their own space—they’ve built their lives a certain way. You can’t force them to rearrange everything.
“Margaret needs to let go of the idea that happiness only exists with her children. She can change her life herself. She just has to look around: Manchester’s full of events, places she’s never been, people she could meet. New experiences—that’s what she needs right now,” the psychologist says.
And you know what? They’ve got a point. Margaret should try seeing things differently. If her kids are busy with their own lives and don’t want to live together, pushing won’t help. Especially since they clearly care—visits are warm, conversations are kind. Why not try filling her life with meaning?
At her age, with time and energy still there, she could do all the things she put off years ago. Some take up painting, some join dance classes, some even start travelling. The worst is when every day blurs into the same old routine: telly, the doctor’s, the shops… That kind of life feeds loneliness, trapping you in it.
These days, there’s so much out there for people of any age—it’d be daft not to take advantage. Some find love again with grandkids already grown, others discover new passions after retiring.
But it’s not just on her. Her kids and grandkids could help too. Sometimes all it takes is a little attention—a phone call, an invitation round, a walk together. For someone feeling alone, that can be a lifeline.
