Friends of the Elderly has been stretching my credulity. In a fundraising leaflet about its work, it quotes two ‘case studies’. In each case, alongside, in very small type, running up the side of the page, is the statement: “We have changed the details in our case study to protect our client’s privacy.” In other words, “you guess what is true, and what we have made up”.

The genuine facts, without name, exact age, photograph or location, would satisfy me and, I would think, provide ample privacy. As it is, I don’t know what to believe.

The accompanying letter stresses how important it is to have human interaction, and adds: “it can be hard to imagine going for days (or even weeks) without any human interaction.” That seems to be stretching it. How does someone go for weeks without seeing anybody? I don’t suppose food supplies are delivered down the chimney by Father Christmas in the middle of the night. In some way, another human being must be involved in providing everyday food supplies – albeit perhaps at fairly long intervals.

When a charity overstates its case, I simply don’t know what to believe. I would much prefer real facts, without added dramatisation.

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