Results from a 2019 survey conducted by GreatCall revealed that one in five seniors admit to feeling lonely every single day.  That is 21% of all elderly individuals surveyed – individuals who are grandparents, war veterans, retired professionals and other valued and respected members of society.

If you are surprised and troubled by this statistic, you are not alone.  Many family members and friends of elderly people are unaware of the extent of their loved one’s loneliness and isolation.  In fact, it is not uncommon for seniors to hide their loneliness or need of assistance from those who want to help them the most.

Negative Impacts of Loneliness

An article written by Dr. Sarvada Chandra Tiwari, published by the Indian Journal of Psychiatry, explains that a lonely person often feels, “low, helpless, separated, or discriminated; finds difficulty during interactions; feels abandoned and alone.”  These negative feelings associated with loneliness go beyond a person’s mental wellbeing, often affecting their physical health as well.

Loneliness predisposes a person to physical diseases and has an adverse impact on their immune, cardiovascular, and endocrine systems. Memory impairment, learning difficulties and higher risk for Alzheimer’s disease and dementia have also been linked to loneliness in seniors. Dr. Tiwari suggests that loneliness is so dangerous and harmful to the health of at-risk elderly individuals, it meets the criteria to be “diagnosed as a disease entity.”

How to Improve Senior Loneliness

Although loneliness in seniors is prevalent and pervasive, Dr. Tiwari does offer a message of hope: loneliness is a treatable, rather than irreversible, condition and with proper support and social connection, loneliness in seniors is likely to improve.

While there isn’t one scalable solution to solve social isolation overall, there are solid steps each one of us can take to help combat the issue:

  1. Stay in touch. GreatCall revealed that 55% of the older adults surveyed stated that phone calls with family and friends made the biggest impact in helping them feel less lonely. Endeavour to make more frequent calls, even video calls, to your loved one to help you stay connected.
  2. Stay involved in social activities. 50% of those surveyed said that having a community or family that plans activities would be most helpful in maintaining social connections. Scheduling outings or even planning to join a loved one in their social activity can help boost your connection.
  3. Share feelings. Of those experiencing loneliness and depression, 34% choose to talk to a friend about it over a family member or doctor. Encourage your loved one to speak with you, or someone they trust, and reassure them that there’s never any judgment in doing so.
  4. Help others. Sharing skills and talents that support another person improves mood and boosts confidence. If you or your loved one have a skill that can assist someone else, plan to help them out together which will also boost your connection.
  5. Develop quality relationships. Building relationships with people who share similar attitudes, interests and/or values is a key way to bond and stay involved in hobbies.
  6. Avoid unhealthy escapes. Alcohol, food, excessive spending and other addictive behaviours will make you feel even more isolated at the end of the day. If you notice this behaviour in someone else, take time to talk to them about it and provide the support they need to transition to healthier options.
  7. Accept help from a medical professional. Individualized interventions from a psychiatrist, psychologist or social worker can be helpful with addressing behavioural issues or physical ailments.

Identifying and solving the problem of loneliness for seniors is easier than we think. The remedy is fairly simple: show up for the elderly loved ones in your life, put forth effort to maintain communication and connection with them, and help them to maintain relationships with others.  A simple act kindness, telephone call or unexpected visit can do wonders in healing the pain of loneliness and build even stronger connections.

Are there other ways that you think we can solve loneliness for seniors? We’d love to hear from you! Feel free to drop us a comment or email.