I have no-one but you: Elderly reach out to helpline

Calls to the country’s only dedicated help line for older people increased again last year, with more than 30,000 phone calls received and almost the same number going unanswered because lines were busy.

Senior Help Line is upgrading its communications systems to double the capacity of its phone lines which will move from regional offices to a national centre in Dublin, as well as training more volunteers to run the service.

The kind of calls its volunteers, who number 370, must be prepared to handle cover a wide variety of concerns, including the cost of living, cuts to services, elder abuse, fear of crime and suicidal feelings.