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"Being married and then losing a partner, you discover what it means to be totally on your own. Loneliness is awful. It can make you feel trapped."
Amrita is one of the hundreds of thousands of older people facing the hardest Christmas of their long lives – entirely on their own.
Amrita lives alone since the death of her husband. She's found the pandemic particularly difficult as she loves to be around other people. She told us that at times she resorted to talking to herself for company.
As the fear and isolation of the coronavirus crisis continues, many older people now face a Christmas like no other in living memory.
After Amrita found the courage to call Age UK, we arranged for her to receive weekly friendship calls. It’s made a life-changing difference.
Our vital services have never been so in demand – and we expect the need for friendship calls to be higher than last Christmas.
Age UK provides a range of services and your gift will go wherever the need is greatest. Age UK is a registered charity, no 1128267.
225,000 older people often go a whole week without speaking to anyone. We cannot let older people suffer alone. Not this year. Not ever.
If you or someone you know needs support, Age UK is here for you. Call the Age UK Advice Line on 0800 169 6565, 8am to 7pm, every day of the year, or find information and advice on our website.