🧓 Loneliness in old age
In brief
In old age several losses often come together: the death of a partner and of peers, the loss of the work environment, declining mobility or health limitations. This makes it harder to keep up the social network on your own. At the same time, studies show that not all older people are equally affected – age alone is not a reason for loneliness; the combination of losses and limited mobility is more likely to be.
Step by step
- Acknowledge lossesAfter the death of a partner or of friends, a feeling of emptiness is normal – it is worth acknowledging this feeling rather than suppressing it.
- Clarify mobility and accessibilityCheck whether a transport service, a home visit programme or neighbourhood help (see separate page) can make access to contacts easier again.
- Contact a senior citizens' office or multi-generation houseMunicipal senior citizens' offices (Seniorenbüros) and the roughly 550 multi-generation houses (Mehrgenerationenhäuser) nationwide offer open meeting points, lunch tables and advice designed specifically for this stage of life.
- Use Silbertelefon/Silbernetz-Freund*innenFor people aged 60 and over, Silbernetz offers both spontaneous conversations and fixed weekly calls from the same volunteer (see the separate page on TelefonSeelsorge and crisis services).
- If you need care, check the relief amountPeople in need of care can use the relief amount (Entlastungsbetrag) under § 45b SGB XI to help fund support services for everyday life that lead out of isolation (see the page on relatives and neighbourhood help).
Deadlines
- Not every older person is automatically lonely – generalisations based on age alone are misleading according to the studies.
- The German Ageing Survey 2025 even found higher loneliness values in midlife (aged 43–55) than among people aged 76 and over – age is therefore not a risk factor on its own.
- Digital services (video calls, apps) do not help everyone equally; a lack of devices, eyesight or practice should not be mistaken for disinterest (see the page on digital participation).
- The relief amount must be applied for, and the service usually has to be billed through recognised providers – a simple neighbourly visit without recognition is not reimbursed automatically.
In depth · legal basis, figures and practice – for advisers and professionals
Data situation
The German Ageing Survey (DEAS) of the Deutsches Zentrum für Altersfragen (DZA), 2025 survey wave, found: about one in eleven people aged 43 and over (around 9 %) felt "very lonely"; people aged 43 to 55 were on average lonelier than people aged 76 and over. The Robert Koch-Institut (Journal of Health Monitoring 3/2023, GEDA study) puts the share of lonely people aged 50 and over at around 8.3 % and finds a link between loneliness and an increased risk of poorer general health. These figures come from different surveys and scales and are not directly comparable with each other.
Structural services
The federal programme Mehrgenerationenhaus is funded by the Federal Ministry for Education, Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth (BMBFSFJ) and, according to the programme, comprises around 550 houses nationwide offering open meeting points, lunch tables, advice and intergenerational activities. Municipal senior citizens' offices and senior citizens' councils are organised differently from one Land to another; there is no nationally uniform structure.
Care benefits with a contact effect
Under § 45b SGB XI, people with a recognised care level are entitled to a relief amount of €131 per month (as of 1 January 2025), which can be used for support services for everyday life – such as supervision groups or visiting services – and can thus also serve social participation. Since 15 October 2025, the formal recognition requirement for voluntary neighbourhood helpers has been eased in several federal states (see In depth on the page on relatives and neighbourhood help).
A question about your situation that this page does not answer? Write to us or use the contact form – we will tell you which office is responsible and what to bring. Free of charge, without individual legal advice.