For most of us, the older we get, the more we slow down physically. But for some, growing old also means slowing down socially—so much to the point that some home-bodied seniors go days with little to no human interaction.

A new survey sheds light on this sad, but true effect of aging, noting that hundreds of thousands of people often go a week without speaking to a single person.

According to the survey of 1,896 seniors over 65 in the United Kingdom, more than one in five (22%) will have a conversation with no more than just three people over the span of an entire week. That translates to nearly 2.6 million elderly folks who don’t enjoy regular human contact on a daily basis. Perhaps most alarming though is researchers say 225,000 individuals will go a week without talking to anyone face-to-face.

Caroline Abrahams, charity director at Age UK says, “Loneliness is a huge problem because retirement, bereavement and ill health mean many older people find they are spending a lot less time enjoying the company of others than they’d like. Loneliness can affect your health, your wellbeing and the way you see yourself – it can make you feel invisible and forgotten.”

About 40% of seniors say they’d feel more confident to head out each day if they knew their neighbors. Just the thought of someone stopping to chat with them brightens their outlook. Half of respondents agree that even a short conversation with a neighbor or acquaintance would greatly improve their day overall. And a quarter of older adults say it makes them feel good when someone smiles or acknowledges them while waiting in line at places like the bank or grocery store. One in five would be thrilled if someone stopped to ask them how their day had gone.