The last older person to die in loneliness

Agency: BBK Foundation

"The last older person to die in loneliness" is an example of the use of a non conventional communication strategy to start a conversation on a topic as taboo as unwanted loneliness amongst the elderly, a growing issue that the Spanish Ministry of Health declared in 2019 had become a public health problem. Sadly this is a topic that, in Spain, only garners attention when an older person is found alone after being dead for weeks, or even months. However, this situation is only the end point of years of social abandonment, precisely the years in which institutions, society and families still have the chance to do something.

With the creation and public installation of a hyperrealistic sculpture representing "The last older person to die in loneliness" and its subsequent positive twist, relying on a true story from a real old woman who suffered unwanted loneliness, we managed to create a recognizable symbol that stirred consciences. Thus, we created an example of how an element exposed for all the world to see can help society and media face an issue like this one, raising awareness towards it and generating a real impact, making visible something that until now reminded invisible.