Helpline for elderly receives record number of calls

One of the country’s largest helplines for the elderly logged a record amount of calls last year, with many of them relating to the security fears of pensioners in their own homes.

The Senior Helpline operated by Third Age received almost 30,000 calls in 2013, according to its training and development manager, Damian Leneghan.

The helpline is available between 10am and 10pm daily, and such has been the volume of calls, the service is now being centralised.