We're on a mission to understand how loneliness develops and how it affects people, so we can support even more older people, and deliver the services that help them through the more challenging times in life. Recently, we commissioned a poll, to dig a little deeper into how people feel once they've retired.

The research, involving 2,000 men and women aged 65 and over, highlights how older people can feel overlooked and dismissed with 50% saying retirement has affected their sense of purpose and role in life.

Most respondents said they have skills, knowledge and experience to offer but just under half (49%) said their opinions were often or sometimes dismissed.

When asked if they felt more - or less - visible in society as they got older, 45% said they feel less visible. Just under one in three (32%) said they had experienced ageism and around half (47%) said their world had shrunk since retirement.

The poll*, which was completed in late September, had a farily even split of respondents between women (52%) and men (48%). Just over half (53%) were aged 65-70, 40% were 71-80 and 7% were 81 or older. It also revealed that 57% of older people felt their identity had changed as they aged. More than four in ten (42%) felt most visible in family settings with 25% feeling the same when shopping or using services.

Many older people feel they slowly vanish from society as they age and this can lead to them becoming isolated and lonely, which is a growing health problem. Those we surveyed overwhelmingly told us they wanted to be listened to and shown more respect. Older people have incredible experience and knowledge, and we should take advantage of this by ensuring they are part of society and not just forgotten.

*The online survey was conducted by market research company OnePoll, in accordance with the Market Research Society's code of conduct. Data was collected between 21/09/2026 and 29/09/2026.