Spotting the signs this Christmas

Your family member may seem more distant this Christmas and may avoid family gatherings or calls. They may lack engagement in their usual holiday traditions and be disinterested and isolated in social activities. Social withdrawal can indicate something is wrong.

Look for indicators your relative may express during a conversation over Christmas dinner or games. They may show signs of feeling overwhelmed or exhausted, possibly due to health challenges or the fear of managing daily life on their own. They might also start requesting more help than usual.

Negative emotions may be more visible when you’re spending time as a family. Loneliness, sadness or general withdrawal from other people could show in their mannerisms or expressions. Sudden mood swings or unusual behaviour can indicate that someone may need further help.

Neglecting cooking, cleaning and shopping can indicate that your relative may not have the time or the ability to do these tasks due to low mobility. Missing medical appointments or wearing inappropriate clothing for the weather can also show someone is struggling.

If your loved one has a cluttered or unclean living space that is unlike them, most likely they are struggling for time or physically cannot carry out these tasks. Unpaid bills and unopened mail also indicate losing track of daily chores, alongside a lack of essentials and food in stock.

While Christmas is tough on all of our pursestrings, if your family member frequently complains about money troubles, this could be a cry for help. Unfinished tasks such as Christmas decorations not being up, or basic errands having not occurred could show some extra help is needed at home.