Written By: Noelle Escobal
There is a stigma surrounding loneliness, especially for older adults. According to the Campaign to EndLoneliness, the percentage of individuals over age 50 is expected to increase by two million between 2025 and 2026; that is a 49% increase in the next ten years. Despite the alarming numbers, elderly care and concern are subjects that are quietly swept under the rug. The fact is, loneliness among older adults is a global, public health crisis. By acknowledging the issue as such, we make the first step towards a unified commitment to our seniors, people with disabilities, home care workers, and their family members.
Loneliness and isolation in older adults can have serious impacts on their overall health. As a part of a younger generation with busy and social lives, we often forget how easily older adults feel vulnerability and loneliness. If left unaddressed, these sentiments of isolation can dangerously devolve into a serious decline in physical health and well-being. According to a meta-analytic review researching the effects of social relationships, lacking social connections is roughly equivalent to and as damaging to one’s health as smoking 15 cigarettes a day. The study also revealed that an individual's social interactions with others, or the lack thereof, have a strong correlation to not only mental well-being, but also both morbidity and mortality. The physical and mental conditions that are linked to social isolation and loneliness include: “high blood pressure, obesity, heart disease, weakened immune system, anxiety, depression, cognitive decline, Alzheimer’s disease, and death” according to a report conducted by the National Institute on Aging (NIA).
Understanding loneliness in seniors is a delicate psychology and practice that deserves time, patience, and care. It is important to understand that aging brings together many changes and challenges that can often contribute to a more solitary life for the elderly. For instance, one of the biggest concerns for older adults is that their social circles tend to shrink as the years go by. In other cases, embarrassment is another leading cause of isolation and loneliness, especially for older adults who might have chronic medical conditions that cause them to feel insecure about their “obvious” signs of aging. Incontinence is one of the many common signs of aging that can often complicate an elder’s social life and self-confidence. As a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) at the UNC Hospitals, I have encountered many older patients who are aware of the difficulty of their situation. Because of their shared empathy for me as their caretaker, I’ve noticed that they can often withdraw into themselves, feeling like a burden to not only me but family members and those around them. It is this fear of being a burden to others that prevents aging adults from seeking help, subsequently allowing a situation to grow exponentially from a problem into a crisis.
As younger adults, it is part of our responsibility to pave the way for a better, more accepting future that destigmatizes loneliness for older adults. By constantly educating others and normalizing loneliness, we can help create spaces that reduce the shame and embarrassment that are often associated with self-isolation as well as increase support-seeking for older adults who might find themselves navigating their aging years alone.
References:
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Social isolation, loneliness in older people pose health risks. National Institute on Aging. https://www.nia.nih.gov/news/social-isolation-loneliness-older-people-pose-health-risks. Accessed October 2, 2022.
Holt-Lunstad J, Smith TB, Layton JB. Social relationships and mortality risk: A meta-analytic review. PLoS medicine. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2910600/. Published July 27, 2010. Accessed October 2, 2022.
The facts on loneliness. Campaign to End Loneliness. https://www.campaigntoendloneliness.org/the-facts-on-loneliness/. Published December 1, 2020. Accessed October 2, 2022.
Loneliness and social isolation linked to serious health conditions. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/aging/publications/features/lonely-older-adults.html. Published April 29, 2021. Accessed October 2, 2022.
Span P. Just what older people didn't need: More Isolation. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/13/health/coronavirus-elderly-isolation-loneliness.html. Published April 13, 2020. Accessed October 2, 2022.
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