In Spain, 64% of older people experience feelings of unwanted loneliness, as reflected in a study by the La Caixa Foundation. In fact, in 14.8% of cases, this sensation could be classified as serious or very serious. This condition considerably worsens a person's well-being and also increases the prevalence of certain diseases such as depression, anxiety, heart disease, stroke, dementia and premature death.
In this circumstance, admitting older people to a residential center or going to a day center is proposed as a solution that reduces the feeling of loneliness. In these facilities, seniors are in the company of other people, both other residents and complex staff. Likewise, they have scheduled activities for their mental and physical enrichment.
Despite everything, Christmas is a time that accentuates the discomfort in those who suffer from unwanted loneliness. Not in vain, it is a celebration that traditionally invites us to surround ourselves with our family and friends. According to the Adopt a Grandparent organization, millions of older people will not have a greeting this Christmas. For this reason, they have launched an initiative to awaken the enthusiasm of many elderly people.
The organization Adopt a Grandfather resumes this year the “A letter for a grandfather” campaign, which has the objective of sending Christmas greetings to older people in a situation of unwanted loneliness. Thus, any user who wishes can send a letter to an elderly person who is in a residential center to encourage them on these dates.
It is as simple as accessing their website and selecting the option to write the letter. The website assigns an elderly person at random and shows their name, age and some personal information such as their hobbies. In this way, the user can personalize the content of the message, so that it has greater meaning and the experience is more authentic.
Once the message of affection has been written, the Adopt a Grandparent team delivers it to the recipient to awaken their emotion and make them smile. Participating in this solidarity initiative is free and there is no limit on letters, so it is possible to send as many as you want to multiple recipients.
On social networks, the initiative has already captured the attention of users, thanks to the videos where older people explain the dynamics to participate. “Give a smile by sending a letter to a grandfather,” encourage the women selected to narrate the message. “You will have given your grandfather a smile,” they promise.
