Evaluation of an intervention in general practices to strengthen social activities in older patients – A qualitative study of patients’ experiences in the project HoPES3

•To a large extent loneliness in old age stems from a patient’s life history and has complex underlying reasons.•Before trying to increase social activity, patients must have space to tell their “story”.•The conversation can help to break taboos and to identify patients at risk of loneliness.•Patients reported benefits mainly regarding their relationships with their GP.•Embedding conversations about loneliness into a spiritual history might be helpful.