Loneliness At Christmas

Almost 1.5 million over 65s said they usually feel lonelier at Christmas” (Age UK 2021)

Not everyone has family or friends to spend Christmas with and for many the 25th of December is just another day. For them, it’s not an exciting time of watching grandchildren open presents or sharing a Christmas Dinner with loved ones.

In the UK, over half of older people aged 75 and above live alone. Many older people don’t have children or family living nearby.

At holiday and festive times, loneliness can be amplified by the lack of having anyone to spend time with. According to a recent study from Age UK, nearly a million older people feel more lonely at Christmas. Out of those, two-fifths are alone after their husband or wife has died.

So, how can we all help those in our Community this Christmas?

Invite someone to your dinner table. Having one extra for dinner could make such a huge difference to an older person that hasn’t had a conversation with anyone in over a month, is unable to visit family or is not eating regular meals.

40% of over 70’s in Britain are skipping meals due to loneliness.

Recognise if they are anxious. Remember, if someone is suffering loneliness they may have become socially anxious, so be mindful and try to consider what they would need to make them feel more comfortable. They may say no, simply for reasons such as fear of how to make conversation or for being uncomfortable eating in front of someone if they can’t chew properly. Make sure you don’t appear too persistent and recognise if someone genuinely wants to be alone but also, try and recognise when someone is saying no out of fear or to be polite.

Don’t assume, ask. Older people tend to be more stoic and are more likely to not ask for help, so the emphasis is on you to make a judgement if you feel someone is lonely. If a neighbour never has visitors or doesn’t go out much, take the time to go and ask them to join you on Christmas Day or even just offer to take them out for a cup of tea.

Help with their shopping. Pop round to your older neighbour and ask if you can take them out to the shops so that they can buy food or to get out of the house. Being alone can be a long day, with little to do.

Help with Christmas decorations. Many people living alone don’t bother to decorate the house and it can make a big difference and help lift their mood. Buy your neighbour a small tree and decorate it for them. Don’t forget to let them know you will also take it away, so that they don’t need to worry about the cleaning up.

Offer to drive an elder neighbour to an event. Encourage someone you know to get out and about to events over the festive season. By offering to drive them, it might be the nudge they need to overcome any anxiety, especially on Christmas Day when transport is limited.

Although during the festive period people tend to be more charitable, it’s not just at Christmas time that older people are lonely and we need to be mindful of this all year round.