Ledbury Focus November 2019 Ledbury Focus November 2019 v3 | Page 15

No one should be alone this Christmas difference to older people who tend to be stoical and reluctant to admit how lonely they are. C hristmas is usually a time for celebration with those you love, but for too many older people it can reinforce feelings of loss, loneliness and of life passing them by. Imagine spending Christmas Day completely alone, unable to leave your home and with nothing but your television for company. It’s a depressing thought, but it’s also the stark reality for approximately 1 million older people across the country. People can become socially isolated for a variety of reasons and many older people go for long periods of time without seeing or speaking to anyone. Many families are widely dispersed and visiting older relatives can be challenging. But making the effort to keep in touch often makes an enormous Ledbury Focus We all have a role to play as individuals, families and communities to ensure older people feel valued and included and make the festive season something to look forward to. There are lots of ways that a little time and commitment can make a great difference to older people: t
Help to write and send Christmas cards t
Offer to help with shopping to ensure they have enough food in store and are able to buy presents t
Ensure they have enough medication for the holiday period t
Pop round to have a cup of tea and a chat t
Give them a Christmas card and a small present t
Invite them to join you at some time over the festive season t
Check with local groups/ churches to see if you can help over the festive season (there may be lunches being arranged where you could help with cooking and serving or transport). We urge everyone to spare a little time and thought this Christmas for the older people in your community who are spending the festive period alone. Loneliness is not something that happens just at Christmas. Please consider becoming a volunteer with Age UK Hereford & Localities and help us to provide support all year round. If you can spare an hour a week or month or more please get in touch. We have a range of volunteering opportunities that are rewarding and will enable you to support older members of your community. telephone: [phone] email: [email protected] www.ageuk.org.uk/ herefordandlocalities Registered Charity Number: 1093512 15