8 Ways to Help Older People Feel Less Lonely at Christmas

Many older people feel more isolated at Christmas, so here are 8 ways that we can all help to reduce loneliness in our communities over the festive season. 

For lots of older people, Christmas can be a particularly lonely time. Many have lost a partner or live far from their children, so may not have a strong support network in their home area. According to Age UK, the festive season leaves almost 1 million elderly people feeling more lonely than they do at any other time of year, but there are some things we can all do to help fight the loneliness epidemic. Sparing just a little bit of our own time could make all the difference to older people who feel isolated.
 

How You Can Help End Loneliness

1. Keep in contact with elderly relatives. If you can’t visit them in person, make sure you keep in touch by phone, email or Skype. A simple phone call could mean the world to someone who doesn’t see or talk to anyone else very often.

2. Check on your neighbours. Pop round to see how they are or ask them round for a cup of tea and a mince pie over the festive season. It’s a small gesture that could brighten up the day for someone who’s lonely.

3. Help with the Christmas shopping. Many older people find it hard to get out and about to do their Christmas shopping. You could offer to take them grocery shopping to stock up on Christmas treats or help them send cards and buy gifts for their friends and relatives.

4. Invite them over on Christmas Day. If you’re able to, consider adding an extra chair around the dinner table and inviting an older person to your home for Christmas dinner. Being a part of a family or social group is something many elderly people don’t get to experience anymore. It can be lots of fun to host someone who’s bound to have plenty of interesting life stories to tell.

5. Volunteer for local charities. Whether it’s fundraising, collecting and delivering gifts, helping out at Christmas parties or visiting people in your local community, every bit you do can make a difference to someone.

6. Get decorating. For someone who wants to add a bit of Christmas sparkle to their home but can’t do it themselves, a bit of help to decorate the house or garden is always welcome.

7. Find out if there are any events for older people happening in your area. Charities like South London Cares, Community Christmas, Contact the Elderly and AgeUK have lots of activities for older people around Christmas, so you could let the person know about them, help them make arrangements to go or offer to accompany them, if you’re able to.

8. Spread a little happiness. Our recent Spread a Smile campaign showed us just how much difference being friendly can make to other people. It might seem like a small gesture but a smile and a cheery ‘Merry Christmas’ could really make a difference to a lonely person’s day.

Helping Customers Celebrate Christmas at Home

We don’t just cater for our customers’ practical needs here at Bluebird Care Bromley. We want everyone we work with to be able to live life to the full, and that includes having a great Christmas. That’s why every member of our care team goes out of their way to ensure that our customers enjoy the best Christmas possible in the comfort of their own home.

If you’d like to know more about how we’re working to end loneliness in South East London with our Every Visit Counts campaign, or have an enquiry about our range of homecare services, get in touch.