Your donation helps ensure that older people like Nick can call ALONE for help whenever she needs to.

In 4 years time there will be 1 million people aged 65+ in Ireland. Today, 30% of older people who live alone in Ireland are experiencing poverty, tens of thousands are making impossible choices every week, whether to heat their home, eat properly, stay connected or pay healthcare costs.

Nick, 80 years

“It’s been so long since I’ve had a hot shower.”

Those were the words of 80-year-old Nick when our ALONE support worker Mary called to check on him.

It was a simple phrase, but behind it was a heartbreaking reality. Our team first spoke to Nick when he contacted our National Support and Referral Line. It was during that initial conversation that Nick revealed that he had not taken a proper hot shower in months.

Struggling financially and terrified of driving his electricity bills even higher, Nick had been washing himself at the sink with cold water, day after freezing day.

While shocking, Nick’s story is not unusual. Every day, ALONE staff speak to and assist older people across Ireland who are hard-pressed just to maintain a basic standard of living.

That is why this Christmas we are reaching out to ask for your help. It is at this time of year, when the cold sets in and days get quiet, that I worry most about older people like Nick.

Your gift in support of ALONE’s work this Christmas will make sure an older person has what matters most.  You’ll be giving them the practical help they need to live safely and independently in their own home, and the support they need to feel connected and valued as members of their community.

There is a longing in Nick’s voice when he talks about the Christmases of his childhood:

“My mother was a great baker and she would start  preparations well ahead of December. I used to love when she would let me feed the Christmas cake. Ours was a busy house with neighbours dropping in for a chat or, if we were lucky, a tin of biscuits. The fire was lit early on Christmas Day as a special treat and we always had family round for dinner. There weren’t presents like there are these days, but they were the best of times. Nowadays I’m delighted if I just get a card in the post but even those are
getting scarce.”

The things that make up your most treasured Christmas memories are probably very similar to the ones Nick shared. The bustle of a busy house full of family and excitement. The smell of baking, sitting in front of the fire, feeling warm, safe and loved. Because when it comes down to it, those are the things that matter most.

But today, Nick’s life feels very different. He never had a family of his own. His brothers, sisters, and many of his old friends have passed away. He told us how he can go for days without speaking to a soul. How the modern world has gotten so complicated, and how he often feels alone and left behind.

“Maybe if I’d had children they’d help me make sense of it all. But sadly that didn’t happen. I can’t understand why everything has to be so complicated. It’s all gobbledygook to me if I’m honest. It can make you feel very foolish and very alone.”

That is why we are asking for your support today. We need your help to restore the confidence of older people like Nick, to show them they’re not alone, and that they have not been forgotten.

That’s what matters most this Christmas. Please send a gift this Christmas to help keep our phone lines open and our services running for older people like Nick who are relying on them.