Battling Loneliness to Improve Health for Older Adults – By Robert Mirsky, M.D. Contributor (US News) / Nov 22 2019
Connections are key to warding off isolation – and its harmful health effects.
We’ve often heard that your ZIP code is a better predictor of health than your genetic code. And while most solutions focus on addressing social determinants of health like access to healthy food and transportation, we must acutely address another key barrier to good health: social isolation.
Studies show that loneliness and social isolation can significantly impact our health and overall well-being. In fact, research has shown that loneliness can be as harmful to our health as smoking 15 cigarettes a day.
For older adults, the issue of loneliness and isolation is particularly troubling. A University of Michigan survey found 34% of Americans aged 50 to 80 feel they lack companionship, and 27% feel isolated.
Driving these numbers is the fact that, as we age, our lifestyles can change. Chronic health conditions can become a barrier to maintaining a social and active lifestyle. We can experience vision, hearing and mobility challenges, making it hard for us to enjoy and participate in our favorite activities. Also, family and friends may move away, or we may move to a new community and not know how to establish new connections. As a trained family physician, I’ve seen firsthand how these factors can lead to social isolation.
I’ve also seen this personally with my dad. He loved to play tennis, but playing the game became difficult as he aged. For him, playing tennis was more than just a physical activity – it was an important social activity he shared with his closest friends. Fortunately, he eventually figured out that even if he couldn’t play a full game anymore, he could still stop by the courts to watch, exercise and socialize with his friends.
Continue to article: https://www.usnews.com/news/healthiest-communities/articles/2019-11-22/commentary-helping-older-adults-combat-loneliness-to-improve-health
