Christmas should be a time for togetherness - not loneliness
Across Scotland this winter, thousands of older people face the Christmas season with a sense of dread. Almost 70,000 over-65s say they won't see or speak to anyone on Christmas Day, and twice that many will have Christmas dinner alone.
Hazel, 69 years old from Dumbarton, will be making a meal for one and watching TV. Her parents have passed away, and her partner died just before Covid, so Hazel is on her own.
You cope, because you have to. But the loneliness still gets me. Everybody else is happy and they are happy with their families. I see people out Christmas shopping but I don’t have anyone to buy for.
Hazel receives a friendship call from Age Scotland on Christmas Day. It really lifts her spirits, and she says that without it, she wouldn't speak to anyone all day.
Alex from Motherwell shares a similar story. The 73-year-old retired engineer
Last Christmas I got a friendship call on Christmas Day and it was brilliant. It was so lovely to have someone to talk to, someone who asked questions and was open to listening to me.
Alex
Read their stories in full
We have not used real images of Hazel for privacy reasons.
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