All over the world, people live longer than before.
In 2030, one in six people in the world will be 60 years old or older.
By 2050, the world population of people aged 60 or over will have doubled.

Isolation and loneliness are an important and frequent problem in society. At present, 31% of older people in Europe live alone.

We could differentiate between an objective solitude (“being alone”), that not affect in a negative way, and a subjective or unwanted solitude (“feeling alone”).

Unwanted loneliness has a negative impact on people's health: worse general health and higher mortality, higher risk of hypertension and coronary diseases, mental health problems (such as depression and suicide), as well as a greater probability of having harmful behaviors for health (such as increased consumption of tobacco, lower levels of physical activity or more obesity).