What your service can do for older Australians this holiday season

The Christmas period is meant to be a joyful time of celebration, but for some older people, the holiday season can be a very lonely time.

Research has found that between 60 and 70% of older Australians receiving home care experience loneliness. Loneliness has been linked to premature death (Holt-Lunstad et al. 2015), poor physical and mental health (Australian Psychological Society 2018; Relationships Australia 2018), and general dissatisfaction with life (Schumaker et al. 1993).

The festive season can exacerbate feelings of loneliness of older Australians further as the holidays evoke nostalgia, and memories of the past good times that are often not the same.

Celebrating Christmas With Older People

“Nobody should be alone and isolated at Christmas.”

Former Australian Red Cross Chief Executive Judy Slatyer

While loneliness surrounding the festive season has long been an issue, the result of the pandemic made things ten times worse. In late 2021, researchers at Monash Business School’s Centre for Health Economics interviewed 1000 older adults about their standard of living; personal health; achievement in life; personal relationships; community connectedness; personal safety; daily living activities; future security and life as a whole. Somewhat surprisingly,  it was community connectedness that received the largest negative hit (33.9 per cent) taking place above personal health.

For many, 2022 will be the first time in two years that hard visitor restrictions aren’t in place.

Ways to improve the wellbeing of older Australians this holiday season

  • Identify any older people who may be on their own this Christmas and determine if Christmas is culturally or religiously important to them
  • Provide details of local religious services and ask if they need assistance attending, or they need support accessing a service on TV or online
  • Identify any charitable or community groups that may be running local Christmas functions
  • For those unlikely to receive a gift, consider if a small gift is possible from your service, a local business donation or a charitable organisation
  • Develop some conversations starters for the workforce to encourage older people to share their memories, experiences and hopes for Christmas
  • For older people who may be alone during Christmas, liaise with family to ascertain if someone can call the client if a visit is not possible
  • Help them decorate their house, and put up their Christmas tree. This will promote physical activity while also facilitating the spirit of Christmas (ask for donations through your networks or local business)