Half a million older people will spend Christmas alone this year as relatives and neighbours shun them in favour of smaller family gatherings and shopping, a charity has revealed.
The Friends of the Elderly charity said many older people will be isolated by younger generations, who said they were too busy to include them in their plans.
In a survey commissioned by the charity, nearly one in four people (24%) said they would not be inviting any elderly relatives or local residents to their Christmas celebrations.
Only 1% of those surveyed said Christmas was a time to help others, while well over half (60%) thought it meant spending time with family and friends. About 11% said "the birth of Christ" represented the meaning of Christmas - about the same number (9%) who plumped for "shopping".
More people would volunteer to help animals (28%) than the elderly (26%), according to the survey. Nearly half (44%) of respondents said they did not have enough time to visit the elderly, while 13% said they did not want to and 11% said they thought the older people around them got "plenty of visits already".
More than two-thirds (68%) agreed that the worst thing they could imagine at Christmas was being alone, but only 13% said that they would consider having a lonely older person spend Christmas Day with them.
The charity said that 500,000 older people will spend Christmas alone, based on ICM research for Help the Aged in 2007.
Richard Furze, the charity's chief executive, said: "The effects of isolation on older people - including loneliness, depression, feelings of low self-worth, poor health and diet - can be devastating, with isolated individuals being less likely to obtain the services they need or seek help.
"We understand that people are incredibly busy today, and especially at Christmas, but we urge people to get more involved with the older people around them - and not just at Christmas.
"Small things such as simply checking in on an older neighbour regularly, popping a card through their door or having a chat with an older person at the shops is enjoyable for both young and older people, only takes a moment and can make a real difference."