Christmas can be a difficult time for many people, especially the elderly, who may be alone without any family or friends and all who have memories of times gone by when things were different.
Last year Age UK published some new statistics that highlighted just how difficult a time this can be for a huge percentage of our aging population. Age UK carried out research as part of its 2023 Christmas campaign, the hardest day of the year, and findings showed that almost 1.4m older people felt more isolated at Christmas than any other time of year and an overwhelming 2.3m wished they had someone to spend time with at Christmas.
Winter itself brings its own issues. Shorter days with dark afternoons, colder temperatures and often gloomy skies. Outdoors, the ground is hard and winter weather makes going outside treacherous for many elderly people. Overall, it can be a time when people are easily depressed, struggling to cope, both physically and emotionally.
That is why, at this time of year, more than any other, we need to give extra thought to the elderly people in our lives. At our homes we work even harder to ensure we spend as much one to one time with our residents as we can, finding a bit more time for a little chat, an extra cup of tea, a walk when possible.
Our activities teams plan a range of social opportunities where residents are encouraged to engage with each other, with visitors from the local community, with our staff members. It is a perfect time of year to get creative and residents can focus on making cards and decorations, wreaths and floral displays and even gifts. We add some festive cheer to ward off the dark nights with additional lighting and comfy, inviting seating areas.
Our communal spaces and dining areas offer a congenial place to reminisce, to enjoy the shared pleasure of good food. Most people have some special memory or tradition at this time of year and where possible we try to incorporate these traditions with the help of family, friends and our lovely volunteers.
Relatives and friends are welcome all year round but particularly over the festive season and we do our upmost to encourage and accommodate all those who want to spend time with their loved one. It not only means so much to the resident but adds new faces and opportunities for conversation for all those we care for. Visitors can join in our activity sessions, enjoy a meal with their relative and explore our grounds and outdoor spaces when weather permits.
Sadly, we are often too busy with our own lives, with our commitments and the general pace of life to give as much thought as we should to the needs of others. But as carers for the elderly, we can not put enough emphasis on the importance of our role at this time of year. As we approach the festive season all our staff are taking time to make sure they make a difference every day, just a small gesture can help ward off loneliness, create new memories and encourage a sense of community.