Lets Reduce Loneliness This Year!

It’s easy to become caught up in our busy day to day lives. We are asking all this 2018 to stop and think... Is there anyone you know that may be feeling lonley as we settle into 2018?

So it’s easy to forget that the new year (the busiest time for many) can be the loneliest of times for people with no relatives. People who beg for money to be fined £100 by council This time of year can be particularly difficult for the elderly, people who’ve lost their partners or whose children have moved too far away to visit. New figures show that 1.9 million people over the age of 65 often feel invisible or ignored, 1.4 million feel cut off from society and 3.6 million admit that their television is their main form of company.

Janet, 70, whose story features in this winter’s Age UK campaign spoke to a local news source  to offer advice on how to make people feel included during winter when the weather makes it a bit tricky for older people to get out and about. ‘A lot of people assume that older people are surrounded by friends and family, especially in the new year. Sadly, that’s not the case for all of us. I’ve dedicated my life to my career and then one day I found myself older and lonely – this wasn’t what I was used to, or what I wanted.’

Many elderly people will be alone in 2018 Janet asks ‘Think of people you know who may be on their own and telephone them to ask them how they are and to give them your best wishes. ‘This need only be brief but will help them feel as though they are not forgotten.’ How to volunteer to help the homeless this winter She suggests that any older people who will be spending much of this year alone would appreciate a kind word from neighbours, as it can be particularly difficult watching others spending quality time with their friends or relatives if you’re feeling alone.
‘Just say hello to them when you bump into them and wish them well. ‘Pop a note under their door to ask them if they would like to come round for a coffee,’ she added. And if you suspect somebody is spending much if the new year alone, but lives too far away to check on, Janet says: ‘Don’t forget about them assuming they’re alright. Give a homeless person a coffee for less than £5 ‘Telephone them and ask them what they will be doing over the next few weeks’ to let them know they’re in your thoughts.

While Roy, whose story is also featured in the Age UK campaign said: ‘Loneliness is something I have experienced first-hand and it goes without saying how upsetting it can be. ‘My beautiful wife passed away one year ago and not a day goes by when I don’t miss her dearly. It takes some getting used to, going from spending every single day for the past 55 years with the woman I love, to facing each day without her.’