Everyone's social connections were weakened by the COVID-19 epidemic, but elderly persons were more severely affected.According to Preeti Malani, M.D., M.S.J., an infectious disease professor at the University of Michigan Medical School with training in geriatrics, "Older adults were simply taken out of circulation during the pandemic as the infectious disease risk was just too high."
Feelings of social isolation among persons aged 50 to 80 years declined from 56% in June 2020 to 34% in January 2023, according to the National Poll on Healthy Aging, a nationally representative periodic poll on health, health care, and health policy concerns.
In spite of the decline, one in three persons between the ages of 50 and 80 said they had experienced social isolation in the previous 12 months.
Chronic loneliness may be just as harmful to our health as smoking 15 cigarettes or drinking six drinks a day, according to the U.S. surgeon general, said geriatric psychiatrist Lauren Gerlach, D.O., M.S., of Michigan Medicine.
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8 strategies for senior citizens to fight social isolation and loneliness
1. Keep up existing relationships
Make the effort to maintain relationships with the people in your life. Try to set aside some time each day to communicate with friends, family, or neighbors, whether it be by phone, mail, or in person.
2. Take part in social media activities online
Online social activities become more accessible throughout the epidemic. Now that you may participate in faith-based organizations, online courses, support groups, and more from the comfort of your home, your possibilities are almost endless.
You may stay in touch with your loved ones both locally and internationally by using video chat apps like Zoom, FaceTime, and others.
3. Offer to help
You may build and preserve social connections while giving back to your community by volunteering with neighborhood groups. To find out what chances could be in your area, check with your town or city hall, local community centers, faith-based groups, and animal shelters.
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4. Taking care of a pet or pets
Research indicates that the relationships people build with pets enhance their physical and emotional well-being. Find out more about the findings of the National Poll on Healthy Aging about the influence of pets on senior citizens.
5. Create a social schedule every day.
Better social habits may be formed by integrating at least one social outlet that sounds realistic and pleasurable into your daily routine.
6. Look for grieving assistance
Losing a spouse, close friend, or family member is only one of the many different kinds of losses that older persons frequently experience.
In addition to offering social assistance at this time, grief-support groups may assist you in navigating sorrow. Numerous hospice organizations provide caregiver or bereavement support groups at no cost.
7. Consult your primary care physician
Discuss your worries about social isolation or loneliness with your physician or nurse practitioner. They can put you in touch with local services that can help you become more socially active and enhance your health.
8. Examine your joyous sources
When asked what brought them joy during the epidemic, most respondents to the National Poll on Healthy Aging said that going outside, exercising, having hobbies, talents, or projects, spending time alone, and having pets brought them joy.
Think about what makes you happy. As part of a healthy routine, spend some time figuring out what makes you happy and how to build and preserve solid social relationships.
Recognizing adult depression versus loneliness
Despite their similar appearances, it's critical to distinguish between sadness and loneliness.
Although depression is a serious mental health issue that includes symptoms including feeling down or hopeless most of the time, having trouble sleeping or eating, or having death-related thoughts, loneliness can be a risk factor for depression.
Ten percent of respondents to the National Poll on Healthy Aging saw a mental health professional in the previous two years, and 19 percent talked about a mental health issue with their primary care physician.
One in three individuals, however, stated that they would be reluctant to seek mental health treatment in the future.Read more about the results of the survey.
Malani stated, "We shouldn't feel like we can't talk about mental health." "Health is mental health." According to Malani, depression and other mental health issues may be handled and treated in a general care or specialist environment.