As Winter Bites, ALONE Urges People to “Share Your Warmth” with Older People this Christmas
ALONE, the organisation which enables older people to age well at home, is once again urging the Irish public to share their warmth with older people this Christmas.
Speaking at the launch of ALONE’s Christmas campaign at ESB Headquarters in Dublin journalist Eileen Dunne said: “ALONE will have supported over 46,000 older people across its services by the end of the year – the highest number to date. That points to an enormous and growing level of need, especially with our rapidly ageing population. Christmas is traditionally a time when we reach out to those in need and those who are alone, and I’m urging people to do something really special this Christmas, and support ALONE’s Share Your Warmth campaign”.
ALONE CEO Seán Moynihan added: “It’s great to have a familiar face and a trusted voice to millions – lending her support to this campaign. We all like to reflect and reconnect at Christmas, and this campaign is all about sharing warmth and practical support with those older people who may be lonely, feel disconnected, have health concerns or heating and housing issues. At ALONE, we stay open throughout the whole Christmas period to try and reach as many of those older people as possible, but everyone can play their part in supporting older people this Christmas”.
So far this year, over 9,000 ALONE volunteers have contributed an incredible 229,192 hours of support to older people throughout Ireland. ALONE expects to provide 2,000 Christmas dinners to older people this festive season through its nationwide network of volunteers and partners. With staff and volunteers in every corner of Ireland, ALONE will call every older person it supports before Christmas to check in and ensure they have what they need.
Eileen Dunne hails that nationwide effort as “a lifeline for some older people this Christmas. While we all know that many older people will spend this Christmas in the company of family and friends, that’s sadly not the case for everyone. For some, their only visitor might be an ALONE volunteer. So, if you’re concerned about an older neighbour or relative, Christmas is a great time to reach out with a phone call or a knock on the door, just to make sure they have what they need – and sometimes, that might just be the conversation itself”.
Dunne and Moynihan were joined at the launch by an ALONE volunteer and an older person supported by the organisation.
Paying tribute, Moynihan said: “Our volunteers and our staff are among the most dedicated and public-spirited people you’ll ever meet, and we’re immensely proud of them. We’re even more proud that, thanks to the efforts of ALONE and those who support us, tens of thousands of older people have received the supports they need to continue living safely and independently at home this year”.
ALONE will be providing supports throughout the Christmas season, ensuring help is available in every community across Ireland. Older people in need of assistance are encouraged to call ALONE’s National Support & Referral Line on 0818 222 024, which operates daily from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. throughout the festive period, with an out-of-hours service available at all other times
Teresa, an older person supported by ALONE shared: ‘My volunteer’s visits bring warmth and joy into my home, especially at Christmas. When someone takes the time to reach out, even for a chat, it means the world.’
Those wishing to donate to support the work of ALONE or interested in volunteering (either via telephone or in-person), can visit www.alone.ie for further details. ENDS
About ALONE
ALONE is a national organisation that enables older people to age at home. Our work is for all older people and aims to improve physical, emotional and mental wellbeing. We have a national network of staff and volunteers who provide an integrated system of Support Coordination, Practical Supports, Support & Befriending, a variety of Phone Services, Social Prescribing, Housing with Support and Assistive Technology.
We use individualised support plans, to address health, financial benefits and supports, social care, housing, transport and other arising needs using technology and through harnessing other services.
We work to empower the whole sector of community support for older people through our Community Impact Network that provides Training, IT support and resources to other organisations.
