The terms loneliness and social isolation are often used interchangeably. While related in some ways, one can exist without the other. Social isolation occurs when a person lacks opportunities to interact with people. Loneliness is a feeling of sadness or distress about being by yourself or feeling disconnected from the world around you. It is also possible to feel lonely, even when surrounded by people. It’s important to note that someone can be isolated socially but not feel lonely.
People can experience various levels of social isolation and loneliness over their lifetime, moving in and out of these periods as their personal circumstances change.
So many factors can contribute to loneliness. Social circles begin to shrink, with significant others and friends and family moving, or passing away. As friends begin dealing with their own health issues, such as needing oxygen therapy, suffering incontinence issues, limited mobility, even hearing or vision loss, the barriers to overcoming loneliness become more challenging. When someone can no longer drive, loneliness and isolation often go hand-in-hand with that feeling of being stuck.
There are also physical effects that often accompany loneliness or isolation. One study from the University of California, San Francisco found that participants 60 years old and older who reported feeling lonely saw a 45 percent increase in their risk of death. Isolated participants also had a 59 percent greater risk of mental and physical decline than their more social counterparts. This decline manifested in participants’ abilities to perform activities of daily living, the six basic tasks that are necessary for truly independent living. Loneliness has the potential to accelerate a senior’s need for assistance for assistance from a family caregiver or other source of long-term care.
Studies suggest that just spending time with friends can relieve stress. We also know that people who volunteer improve their overall wellbeing and life satisfaction in comparison with those who do not.
One 90-year-old gentleman Derek Taylor, tackled his loneliness head-on, reported Allison Fox, of the Huffington Post. His partner and sister passed away within a short period, and he felt extremely lonely.
“I thought, what can I do to stop being lonely?” said Taylor, “The older you get, the less people seem to contact you.”
So, he wrote a list of ways to combat loneliness. “Some of the tips were to use the phone more often,” says Taylor. “Get in touch with neighbors. Try and socialize and meet as many people as I possibly could.”
Derek decided to share his top ten tips, which helped him to feel less lonely:
Make an effort to make new friends
Join a hobbies club
Visit your local community or resource center and find out what’s available
Learn to use a computer at your local library
Seek help from your local social services
Consider taking in a lodger or paying guest
Use your telephone more often to contact people
Contact friends and relatives you haven’t spoken to recently
Make friends with your neighbors
Do volunteer work if you are able
Taylor followed his own advice. He went along to coffee clubs and made friends. Now he’s involved in all sorts of local activities, including gardening and helping to get resources for his local communities.
“You feel as though you’re alive again,” he said.
While Derek’s tips might not be right for you, I encourage you to be persistent in your own journey to combat loneliness. If you would like to hear some other ideas, please call the Area Agency on Aging. We can offer a variety of options that might be right for you.