Become a 'Secret Santa' for a senior this festive season!

With Christmas just around the corner, Home Instead Senior Care Stevenage and North Herts have partnered with Hertfordshire Independent Living Service for their festive campaign, to help give back to local seniors this December.

The nationwide lockdown has increased feelings of isolation and loneliness among the elderly population, with changes to routines and the inability to interact with family and loved ones having a profound effect on the mental health of seniors.

Home Instead caregivers have continued to provide companionship and care to their elderly clients throughout the pandemic, however they are aware not all seniors are so lucky, and want to give a little Christmas cheer to the local elderly population this festive season.

Home Instead are asking individuals to donate small, unwrapped gifts this Christmas, which will then be distributed to the elderly and vulnerable across the local area through HILS' meals on wheels service.

"This is an opportunity for the local community to be a secret Santa for a senior," explained Jo Hooper, communications officer at Home Instead.

"Unfortunately, there are a lot of seniors who are extremely lonely, having no family, or families that live far away.

"More than ever this year, the elderly have felt loneliness, vulnerability, and isolation like never before.

"This simple act of kindness could bring a wealth of benefits to our elderly neighbours this Christmas."

Suggestions for gifts include chocolates, gloves, slippers, crossword books, puzzles, and toiletries, among many other things.

Gifts can be donated at the Maid in Letchworth offices

in a Cvoid secure manner, or donated online via the company's Amazon wish-list.

Donations must be made by November 30 in order to be distributed to local seniors in time for Christmas.

Home Instead partner HILS is a charitable social enterprise which supports older and vulnerable people across Hertfordshire, providing meals on wheels services, nutrition and exercise support, community-based dementia support, among other things.

Sarah Wren, HILS chief executive, added: "Christmas is a particularly difficult time for people who are isolated.

"But with the ongoing pandemic, older people are having to be extra cautious about going out and socialising, and families are finding it hard to travel

to meet each other.

"This means that an increasingly large number of older and vulnerable people may be facing a very lonely Christmas.

"It is so important that we pull together to support the most vulnerable at these very challenging times."

You can take your donation to Maid in Letchworth, 269 Icknield Way, Letchworth,

Hertfordshire SG6 4UE, or donate via the Amazon wish list here

All donations must be made by November 30.

If you are a local business, society, school, or club and would like to donate gifts, please get in touch with Jo Hooper at 01462 600462 or email her at [email protected].

Home Instead Stevenage and North Herts, who have been awarded an outstanding rating by the Care Quality Commission, provide full service home-care and companionship to older people in their own homes, allowing them to live independently in later life.

To find out more about them, call 01462 228655 or visit their website here