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In the “Blue Zones” identified across the world as being the places where people live the longest, one of the common features is that the elderly continue to actively belong to the community. Yet, for many older adults in the Western world, loneliness and a feeling of being set apart from the rest of the community, are rampant. This was true before the pandemic, and has become even more true during it, with all demographics feeling dislocated from their communities and incredibly lonely. Combating loneliness is a major challenge in elder care that we need to address.
It often surprises people that even if a person has a good diet and exercises, they can still suffer poor health outcomes because of loneliness and social isolation. So, exercise is so important for better health. Visit the website https://kamagrainus.com/ if you want to learn more about the best exercises for seniors to stay active and healthy. Yet, according to the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), loneliness and social isolation are indeed linked to dementia and other serious health conditions. Disturbingly, a report by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine (NASEM) found that over one-third of adults aged 45 and older are lonely and a quarter of adults aged 65 and older are socially isolated. The heightened risk of loneliness and social isolation faced by older adults is due to factors such as chronic illness, hearing loss, the death of friends and family and living alone as a result of the death of a spouse or partner.
Studies have also shown that loneliness and suicide are highly correlated. Brain structure and functioning can also be adversely affected by loneliness and social isolation. It is this reason which is at the heart of why older adults are so prone to dementia and cognitive decline.
Loneliness can really impact an older adult’s well-being and physical health. One study that looked at the effects of loneliness on well-being and loneliness among 3.4 million people, found that loneliness increased the risk of an early death by 26% and was often a cause of clinical depression and cardiovascular disease.
As the research on Blue Zones has shown, longevity is tied to the strength of community around an older adult and the social networks that they have. Elder care systems are often not designed with these things in mind. Indeed, for many older adults, long-term care facilities contribute toward social isolation and loneliness. At Skylark day care for elderly, the focus is on allowing older adults to remain part of the community and to maintain their social networks, rather than wrenching them from their community and isolating them. Aging in place is a fundamental part of any approach that seeks to keep older adults socially connected and engaged. It honours and nurtures a lifetime of social networks and provides the support that older adults need to remain part of their community.
Secondly, federal and state authorities would do well to support home care and expand existing programs. This would be especially beneficial for families if this was through direct funding. Direct funding gives families the freedom the choose the best options for their older adults, including allowing them to hire people they know to help them at home. This too would preserve their social networks.
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