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