Is Social Isolation a new public health concern for older adults?

A recent publication through the Aging Life Care Association uncovers the correlation between social isolation and loneliness and a higher risk of health concerns for older adults. This makes  sense to me.  As someone who studied psychology in college, one of the greatest messages I remember is that as human beings, we all have the drive and need to be connected to others. Research is now validating this. In recent years, studies on dementia and risk factors for it’s development have included lack of social interactions.  We are now beginning to realize that it’s critical for all of us to stay connected to others for our mental and physical well- being.  Studies show that older adults that have meaningful connections with others of any age, have lower risks for high blood pressure, stroke, obesity and diabetes among other major health concerns.  This recent study found that older adults that are socially isolated and may not report feeling lonely, still have a higher risk for developing healthcare issues.  I find this study helpful with a question that I hear often as a care manager. “Should my loved one move into an assisted living?”  One of the questions we now must ask in order to answer that is, “how isolated are they?” Many older adults that I meet are very isolated within their own homes, unable to connect with others due to the inability to get around easily.  That’s not to say that moving a loved one into an assisted living is the right answer, but it is something that we must assess regularly when our loved one is living alone at home.  Mother Teresa spoke of the need for human connection regularly, below is one of the many quotes you can find about the need for others in our lives.

“The biggest disease today is not leprosy or tuberculosis, but rather the feeling of being unwanted.” -Mother Teresa