LOVELAND, Colo. — The holidays are meant to be filled with family, friends and joy — but for many older adults, this time of year can be especially lonely. Living far from loved ones or coping with the loss of family members can make the season even harder.

For 86-year-old Janet, the holidays had always been a time of celebration.

“We always decorated,” she said. “And one year we got a tree that, when they took the cords off of it, it took up the whole living room.” Kim Doran (right) recently became a caregiver for Janet.

These days, some of those memories are bittersweet. Her husband passed away a few years ago, and her two sons live far away — one in San Francisco, the other in Shanghai. Still, Janet says, “It’s nice to have the memories, but it’s also nice to be here in the here and

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