Grandfather puts himself up for adoption to beat loneliness in old age

Growing older is an exciting time full of opportunities but for some it can lead to loneliness as family move away and friends begin to dwindle.

Finding happiness can prove difficult and the fear of dying alone can cause extreme stress.

For one Chinese man, the thought of living his days away by himself became all too much and with a need to connect with others, the 85-year-old put himself up for adoption.

Although it may sound odd, the truth is 15 per cent of Chinese are older than 60 and with limited support The Washington Post reported Han Zicheng was desperate for some company as sadly his wife had died, he was no longer in touch with his sons and the neighbours were too busy.

While he battled through the Japanese invasion, the Chinese civil war and the Cultural Revolution, the grandfather needed people around him to care and so he decided to write a note to place in a nearby bus shelter.

“Lonely man in his 80s. Strong-bodied. Can shop, cook and take care of himself. No chronic illness. I retired from a scientific research institute in Tianjin, with a monthly pension of 6000RMB a month,” the note read.

“I won’t go to a nursing home. My hope is that a kindhearted person or family will adopt me, nourish me through old age and bury my body when I’m dead.”

Han’s story spread across the world and people began to reach out, offering food, and conversation and one young man in the military even expressed interest in adopting him, however, sadly it didn’t proceed before Han passed away.

Thankfully, he didn’t die alone and was in hospital when he passed, but according to The Washington Post, he had in the last few months contacted a helpline for seniors called the Beijing Love Delivery Hotline.

It was clear Han was still lonely and was doing all he could to reach out for support. Unfortunately, Han is not the only one facing loneliness, with people across the world left feeling isolated as they age.

According to a recent survey by crisis support service Lifeline, more than 80 per cent of Australians believe loneliness is increasing and about 60 per cent admitted they often feel lonely.

“For a society that is more technologically connected than we have ever been, these results suggest we’re overlooking good old-fashioned care and compassion when it comes to our mental health and wellbeing,” Chief Executive Officer Pete Shmigel said in a statment.

“Furthermore, with about 70 per cent of survey respondents having never called Lifeline or a similar service, we as a community need to be more mindful of how the people in our lives are coping, and send a strong message that no person in crisis should have to be alone – help is available.”

If you are depressed or need someone to talk to, there are many 24/7 support lines available, including Lifeline on 13 11 14, the Suicide Call Back Service on 1300 659 467, MensLineAustralia on 1300 789 978 and Beyond Blue on 1300 224 636.

Do you often feel lonely? How do you handle loneliness?