This powerful Age UK advert will make you think differently about Christmas

Age UK is hoping to raise awareness of the isolation many elderly people feel during December 
Alice Howarth6 December 2017

We’re used to seeing the John Lewis and M&S Christmas adverts and being filled with the warm feeling that Christmas is coming, but the latest Christmas advert is likely to make you feel differently.

Age UK’s 2017 advert is called “Just Another Day” and it shows an elderly man throughout the year, going about his day-to-day alone.

Come Christmas day, he sees families welcoming in relatives on Christmas morning and children getting excited for the day ahead but he’s left watching from afar.

Experts said married couples benefit from higher levels of social interaction
PA Wire/PA Images

The UK’s charity is calling for people to donate so that they can further tackle the isolation many elderly people face and very few people notice.

Perhaps they’ve lost their friends to illness and old age, maybe they’re unsatisfied with the relationships they do have left or they have no family at all. But for this demographic particularly, it’s all too common for them to be alone.

The 60 second film has elicited praise and emotional reactions all over social media.

Currently in the UK, more than 1.2 million older people in England are chronically lonely, and 1.4 million admit that Christmas day passes them by just like any other.

Loneliness isn’t just a temporary thing either, it can have lasting effects. Age UK actually states that loneliness can be as harmful for our health as smoking 15 cigarettes a day.

If you’re interested in supporting Age UK, you can find out how to get involved by visiting ageuk.org.uk and donate here

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