The ‘crisis hidden in plain sight’ facing 1.5 million Brits this Christmas
More than a million older people in the UK may be spending Christmas Day alone, according to research by Age UK.
A survey of more than 2,600 people aged 65 and over suggested that 11 percent will eat dinner alone on December 25, while 5 percent will not see or talk to anyone all day.
In terms of the general population, data shows that 1.5 million people will eat alone on Christmas Day.
Age UK Ambassador Dame Joanna Lumley described the findings as “a crisis hiding in plain sight” and warned that “the silence can be deafening” for older people who are socially isolated, especially during the festive season.
Dame Joanna joined other famous faces including Dame Judi Dench, Brian Cox and Miriam Margolyes to encourage people to support the charity’s companionship campaign to combat loneliness.
Age UK said its volunteers spent more than 70,000 minutes on calls with people during Christmas week last year, and the charity regularly supports events such as coffee mornings or festive lunches at this time of year to ensure people have the chance of face-to-face interaction.
Dame Judi said that for many older people, Christmas could be “a time of silence, days of no conversation or company”.
Succession star Cox said loneliness at Christmas was “a tragedy we don’t talk about enough” and that “too many older people are left to spend the season in silence when it should be a time of warmth, connection and joy”.
Echoing this sentiment, Margolyes said: “Ageing shouldn’t mean fading into the background; we need to be seen, heard and celebrated. That’s what Age UK is striving for; they’re changing the way we perceive age.”
The charity is encouraging people to donate to “help us continue our vital work to tackle loneliness and support those who have no one else to turn to.”
Paul Farmer, the company’s chief executive, said: “Your donation can bring comfort, friendship and care to an older person facing loneliness this winter. From friendly weekly visits to local lunch clubs, we’re here to make sure no one spends the winter alone. But we can’t do it without you.”
Polling company Yonder surveyed 2,659 UK adults aged 65 and over between 31 October and 10 November for Age UK.
