Beating loneliness
t’ll come as no surprise that, while for many of us the festive season is a time of great sharing and comfort, for many others the isolation and loneliness experienced at other points during the year can be distressingly multiplied. Perhaps the most vulnerable of these
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groups is the elderly, for whom any feelings of detachment from a sense of community are often accompanied by genuine anguish and concerns over matters of finance, housing and social care.
“A number of studies conducted
in different parts of the UK enable us to estimate about 10 per cent of the population aged over 65 is lonely all or most of the time,” says Gillian Shepherd- Coates, Chief Officer of Age UK Sevenoaks
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and Tonbridge, which runs three day care centres and eight lunch clubs in addition to providing information and advice, and offering befriending and independent living support services.
“Everything we do is to help older people engage with others to combat loneliness and address practical life issues but, of course, Christmas is a time of year when for many these concerns and worries are heightened.”
Age UK has launched ‘no one should have no one’ – an awareness and fundraising initiative recognising millions of older people are facing the ups and downs of life almost entirely alone and encouraging people to appreciate giving a little of their time to help is often as important as making
a donation. “On Christmas Day we will be providing a hot meal at Hollybush Court Day Centre for older people who are on their own in the Sevenoaks area and Tonbridge Baptist Church will also run a similar event,” adds Gillian.
Speaking about her Christmas last
year, 86-year-old Pauline from Sevenoaks, said: “I wish to thank you for the lovely time I spent at Hollybush Court on Christmas Day. The volunteers were wonderful and just couldn’t do enough for us. It made an otherwise lonely day very enjoyable – thank you.” There is so much we can all do at Christmas to help an older person. It doesn’t have to take up lots of time and, while donations are always greatly appreciated by
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Words David Leck Image licensed by Ingram Image
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