No one likes to be lonely any time of year, but especially during the holidays. Unfortunately, in our teenage years we try our best to get away from our parents to be alone or spend time with our friends instead.

You never know exactly how much you will miss your loved ones until they are gone, and that includes your mom and dad. There are so many little things for us that they do that go unnoticed until they’re no longer there to do them.

As we become adults we get busier and busier and seem to have a variety of reasons not to spend time with our parents. Little by little, the visits to them get further apart and the phone calls get shorter and shorter.

Although we may be busy enough we don’t notice much, it can have quite the affect on them. Social isolation, or loneliness, is become a major issue and causing concerns for the older population’s mental health.

Studies have shown that people become less and less able to cope with loneliness the older they get. This loneliness can decrease the quality of life of an adult and increase their risk of depression, health problems, and cognitive impairment. It can even lead to an early death.

In the study 1,600 participants were observed. Those that reported being lonely were more likely to have more difficulties with their daily living activities, regardless of socioeconomic status and health.

Nearly 23 percent of those that were lonely died within six years of the study compared to only 14 percent of those who didn’t report being lonely. Researchers say that we need people that value us, know us, and bring us joy to our  lives and that need never goes away.

Older people also tend to be much more tolerant of their friends’ imperfections. They know what’s worth fighting for and what’s not. They know relationships mean a lot so they’re willing to let go of things that might have bothered them at a younger age.

This also explains why more people are willing to spend their time at a nursing home. They’d rather be with a bunch of people than all alone, and they need to be encouraged to have friendships with other people.

Although most of us gear up for big family events during the holidays, studies estimate that nearly 500,000 elderly people will spend Christmas Day alone this year. That number is shocking and sad.

The main reason is that many of them live far away from their families. Other cited reasons like not wanting to trouble their children or that they weren’t invited to spend the holidays with their family.

Although being lonely for an elderly person is hard any time of year, the feelings of being unwanted get worse during the holidays. Experts say that no one should feel alone during the holidays.

This year, they’re asking people to take loneliness seriously by either taking action and spending extra time with your loved ones or other seniors near you, or donating to charities that help support older people.

If you know someone that is older or alone in your community, small gestures like taking them out for a meal, spending a few hours with them, or inviting them to your home can go a long way.

You could also spend time as a volunteer at a nursing home or long-term care facility on Christmas so these people don’t have to spend the entire day alone.

Be sure to share this story with your family and friends. Just because people get older doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be spending time with them. They need our love and attention too.