ALONE encourages people to be aware of the pain and suffering caused by Christmas loneliness

ALONE, the national charity that enables older people to age at home urged the public to share warmth with older people this Christmas and New Year. 

ALONE volunteers will deliver over 1,000 Christmas dinners nationwide to older people this Christmas Day. Volunteers will clock over 33,000 hours in December to support older people in every community. ALONE staff have made over 11,000 calls to more senior people to check in on their needs ahead of Christmas and provided what support they can.

With 1 in 4 older people living alone, they are also asking members of the public to be aware of older people in their communities.

A simple act may be all it takes to make someone’s Christmas if they are lonely or isolated this year. Older people are also encouraged to contact them if they need support. 

Some things that people can do to make sure that they can help support older people:

Ensure that older people keep their heat on and follow practical advice to stay warm.

Check-in with older neighbours, friends and relatives to ensure that they are keeping themselves warm and that they have enough food and medicines.

It’s a busy time for some, but for others, you can make their day by stopping and chatting on the street or in the shop.

If you are concerned about an older person over the festive period, refer them to ALONE for support on 0818 222 024.

If there is a cold weather snap, make sure the older people in your life are keeping their homes warm enough; the bills can be looked at later.

ALONE has delivered support to over 33,000 older people so far this year; such is the demand for our services, and we are increasing our capacity as quickly as possible. These supports cover anything from advice on housing adaptation grants to practical support like assistance with home appliance repairs. 87% of the supports requested are delivered, and 72% of these are delivered within three weeks.

ALONE CEO Seán Moynihan commented: “This Christmas represents an opportunity for us all to share our warmth and help eradicate loneliness. This will come as a welcome relief for many older people, who will get to spend Christmas with their families in person again. 

“However, it can also be a very difficult time for many older people who will suffer from loneliness and isolation. A simple check-in to say hello could make the biggest difference to an older person and turn a bad Christmas into a good one.

“We have been urging people to Share your Warmth for our winter campaign, this means different things to different people. For some it means donating, volunteering or just offering a helping hand to an older person that you know. We are grateful for all the support.”

He concluded: “Like every charity, the winter is the busiest time of the year, with demand for our services growing rapidly. We are calling on people to remain mindful of this and to help us support our older people during the winter.”

If you have concerns about your well-being or the well-being of an older person you know, contact the ALONE National Support Line, available seven days a week, all over the holiday season, from 8am – 8pm on 0818 222 024.