Help change the future of loneliness for older people – at Christmas and all year

“Loneliness is a strange feeling – it’s sad, it’s day in, day out” – Daphne, 90

Last year Friends of the Elderly launched its Future of Loneliness report, which found that over five million older people in the UK are affected by loneliness, with more than a million (1 in 10 older people) saying they often feel lonely. The research also predicts that demographic change alone will drive up the number of lonely older people in the UK by 40 per cent over the next 15 years.

When you have friends and are surrounded by people, it’s hard to imagine what it is like to be without anyone and all alone. Having a lack of friends is a crucial predictor of loneliness – further research shows that loneliness can be as harmful to health as smoking and obesity and can cause depression and feelings of low self-worth.

The good news is that over half of people Friends of the Elderly has surveyed said they would like to help reduce isolation in their community, but almost 1 in 3 of respondents said they do not have the confidence to do so.

Friends of the Elderly believes that individuals and communities have the power to change the future of loneliness, which is why it  launched Be a Friend  in response to the report. The movement encourages people to get to know their older neighbours and members of their community by making small gestures. It may sound simplistic, but having a chat across the garden fence or saying hello at the bus stop can make a big difference to someone who is lonely – this might be the first and only contact they have with another human being that week.

Organisations and businesses can get involved too. If you work with older people, think about how you can involve local community groups and other organisations. At Friends of the Elderly’s Hampshire care home a wonderful relationship has been developed with a local Scout group. The Scouts promised to help make the home ‘a bright and happy place to be’ and made ornaments for the garden – not only did these bring joy to the residents but also helped the group work towards some of their badges and awards.

TrustATrader’s Managing Director, Gary McEwen, heard about the Be a Friend campaign and knew straight-away that he wanted his traders to be part of it: “Our traders go into the homes of older people every day and we pride ourselves on the honesty and reliability of tradespeople”, says Gary, who along with his colleagues, ran 5k in Battersea Park recently to support the charity. “We’ve teamed up with Friends of the Elderly to support their campaign and encourage people to look out for older family, friends, neighbours and customers where they can. We know how important it is for older people to be respected, valued and cared for. It’s a great cause!”

For more inspiration and to make your promise to Be a Friend today, visit www.beafriendtoday.org.uk.

Christmas is an especially difficult time for older people who are lonely and research shows that 500,000 older people will spend Christmas Day alone. That’s why – as the festive season gets ever closer – Friends of the Elderly is calling on hundreds more people to Be a Friend by organising a Community Christmas activity, so no older person will be alone on Christmas Day unless they want to be.

Organising a Community Christmas activity is easy – it’s not just about the turkey dinner, you could get people together to watch a Christmas film, share a cup of tea and a mince pie, or enjoy a Christmas Day walk. If you’re a local business owner, think about how you can open your doors to older people in your community – pub landlords and restaurant owners could operate a ‘book alone but don’t dine alone’ system, call centres could open their staff canteens for festive treats, and local taxi firms could operate a lift scheme.

If you’re already organising an activity on Christmas Day, or know of one in your area, then the all you need to do is list it on the Community Christmas website for free! Whatever you decide to do, you will help make sure more older people, who would otherwise be alone, have something to look forward to on Christmas Day.

For more information please visit www.fote.org.uk/Christmas