A CARE home is throwing open its doors on Christmas Day to invite older people from the community to join in its celebrations.
Staff and residents at the Elderwood care home on Westmoreland Street have organised a fun day of Christmas cheer for older people living alone in the town.
They now want older people to get in touch so they can help them join in the festivities.
Elderwood Care Home Darlington
The guests will join everyone at Elderwood for Christmas lunch and take part in the festivities, including games and singing, and then be taken home when they are ready, all free of charge.
Ann Dale, Manager of the Elderwood Care Home, said: “Christmas Day can be an incredibly lonely time if you live on your own.
"We wanted to extend the warmth and companionship of our lovely home to anyone facing the day alone.
“We go all out at Christmas for our residents, because some of them don’t have anyone else and we are seen as their family.
"So we’re happy to invite some people in to join us for Christmas Day.
“We’ll pick them up in a taxi on the morning and they can spend all day with us.
"We’ll then organise for them to get taken home.”
Research from Age UK last year showed that nearly a million older people feel lonelier at Christmas than at other times of the year, some of whom are widowed, and 1.2m older people live with chronic loneliness every day.
- If you, or someone you know, would like to join Elderwood residents on Christmas Day then call manager Ann Dale on 0800-0854168.
- Places are limited and will be filled on a first-come-first-served basis.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here