While the Christmas build-up is a time of
excitement for many, for the thousands of older people living alone, it signals
a countdown to the time of year when feelings of isolation and anxiety can be
at their greatest.
As part of its annual Companionship at Christmas
campaign, care homes belonging to Abbeyfield Society will open their doors for six weeks to provide
overnight stays, meals and entertainment for people affected by loneliness,
completely free of charge.
With an estimated 500,000 older people expected
to spend Christmas alone, Abbeyfield chief executive, David McCullough, said:
“The Christmas build up resonates with excitement and celebration for many of
us, yet it’s a time when older people can feel at their most isolated and
alone. Their usual clubs or activities close down for Christmas, relatives are
dotted across the UK far away from them and feelings of bereavement for lost
loved ones is amplified at a time when families traditionally come together.
“Abbeyfield was founded over 60 years ago in
response to the crippling loneliness endured by a forgotten generation of older
people. That ethos continues today with campaigns such as Companionship at
Christmas as Abbeyfield continues to enrich the lives of older people and make
their later years happy, easy and more fulfilled.”
Now in its eighth year, Companionship at
Christmas has offered a lifeline of warmth and friendship to thousands of older
people at Christmas, such as 83-year-old Ron Hoverd, who lives on the Isle of
Wight.
The former RAF corporal and his wife, Mary, were
inseparable during their 45-years of marriage but her death left him devastated
and struggling to cope.
Ron said: “I couldn’t have had a better woman
which made losing her so difficult. I watched her die, which was
heart-breaking. After the funeral I reached rock bottom and was struggling to
get by. I was so lonely. Everything was so quiet.”
For Ron, who has no immediate family, Christmas
was one of the most difficult times. “There’s nothing worse than being on your
own at Christmas,” he said. “You know you’re supposed to be enjoying yourself,
but you’re sat there by yourself, wishing the day would end.”
Age UK put Ron in touch with his local
Abbeyfield House in Cowes, where staff invited him to join them for Christmas
Day lunch, and since then, he has become a regular at Abbeyfield Clifton House.
“It’s a lifesaver from my point of view,” he
said. “It means so much having Abbeyfield there.”
Abbeyfield patron Aled Jones will be bringing
Christmas cheer to the charity’s Victoria House in South West London on 27
November, where he will be supporting the campaign with a Christmas singalong
for residents. The popular singer and presenter will also be helping to carve
the turkey at a Christmas lunch on 28 November at The Kingslodge Inn, County
Durham.
He said: “I’m very much looking forward to
sharing an early Christmas with Abbeyfield residents and getting into the
Christmas spirit! Christmas is a time of love and sharing and no one should be
alone at Christmas.”
SOURCE: carehome.co.uk, Melissa McAlees
No comments:
Post a Comment