90-Year-Old Widower's Tips On How To Combat Loneliness Will Tear You Apart

Quick warning: If you're feeling a little sensitive or emotional today, make sure you have some tissues nearby, because this might set you off.

This is Derek Taylor.

Derek is 90-years-old, from Manchester in England, and recently, he's been having a really tough time.

You see, Derek lost both his partner and his sister in a short space, leaving him extremely lonely all of a sudden.

He told the BBC,

The older you get, the less people seem to contact you, and I thought "what can I do to stop being lonely?"

It was then that he had a brainwave.

He decided to write a list of tips to help combat loneliness — and then decided he would follow his own advice.

And though the tips might seem simple to you or I, to elderly people like Derek, they could be a lifesaver.

They include advice to join a hobbies club, visit a local community centre, or learn how to use a computer at a library.

In addition, he wrote about making friends with neighbors, contacting friends you might not have spoken to for a while, and considering voluntary work.

He added,

Some of the tips were to use the phone more often, get in touch with neighbors, try and socialize and meet as many people as I possibly could do.

And it has worked for Derek, as going along to coffee clubs and gardening has given him a bunch of new pals and a feeling of renewed purpose.

Derek said,

You feel as though you're alive again.

Not only that, but other elderly people will be able to benefit from his advice.

He shared the tips with Manchester City Council, and officials decided to include them in a leaflet about support for older people in the area.

Great work Derek, you absolute champion.

Citations: BBC