Loneliness and feelings of isolation are public health risks that plague U.S. societies even today. Despite technological advancements that connect people, a significant number of seniors still report feeling lonely. Reducing loneliness in seniors is critical to promoting overall health.

What is loneliness?

Loneliness is a state of mind. People who are lonely feel empty, unwanted, and alone. These individuals crave human contact, but a lonely state of mind makes it difficult to connect with others. Loneliness has no particular cause, but is associated with poor social skills, introversion, and social isolation.

Regardless of whether a senior is surrounded by people or not, she can experience loneliness. For example, a senior in the midst of peers at a senior center celebration can still feel pangs of loneliness. Or, a senior may remain alone in her room, yet experience feelings of contentment.

In other words, being alone does not necessarily lead to loneliness. Rather, a lonely senior is someone who desires social connections but is unable to satisfy those needs. Older adults are more at risk for loneliness due to a number of age-related factors.

Aging people may live with decreased mobility or health issues that make it difficult to leave the home. Seniors with vision impairment or poor hearing may be too embarrassed to seek out social situations. Incontinence issues, too, can cause seniors to feel too self-conscious to socialize.

What are the health risks of loneliness?

Experiencing chronic loneliness can have serious health implications for aging adults. Whether a senior’s spouse has passed away or severe health problems prevent interactions with others, unexpected loneliness can have devastating consequences on a senior’s overall emotional and physical health.

Seniors who suffer from loneliness are at a higher risk for developing both emotional and physical ailments. Physical illnesses include high blood pressure, heart disease, obesity, a weakened immune system, and death. Other problems include depression, cognitive decline, and Alzheimer’s disease.

Aging people who are lonely may feel threatened and distrustful of others. The physical consequences are just as real: Long-term loneliness alters the immune system cells, thereby affecting how the senior’s body heals from injury. Cancer cells grow, and inflammation in the brain can lead to Alzheimer’s.

Conversely, seniors who socialize regularly experience a dramatic improvement to their overall physical and emotional health. These individuals live longer, experience enhanced mood states, and benefit from a sense of purpose. Not only is their well-being maintained, but they improve their cognitive functions.

Here are seven tips to reduce loneliness in seniors:

1. Arrange for social visits

The benefits of socialization are clear. One way to combat loneliness in seniors is to encourage visitors to stop by. Outreach programs run by schools and congregations are designed to ease loneliness in the elderly. Regular visits from relatives and grandchildren can bring great joy to seniors.

2. Start volunteering

Seniors who volunteer for a meaningful cause not only feel a sense of purpose but have an opportunity to help others in the company of likeminded people. Aging adults who are mobile might read to children, work in a communal garden, or become a docent at a local art museum.

3. Pursue hobbies together

An active senior who engages in hobbies with others is on the road to better health. Families and companion caregivers might share an enjoyable hobby with the senior. An aging adult can also join an exercise class for the double benefits of improved bodily health and social opportunities.

4. Join a senior center

The local senior center offers older people numerous activities to help them stay socially engaged. High-impact physical activities, like dancing, to leisurely pursuits, like watercolor painting, give seniors of all abilities a chance to interact with others. Professional caregivers can transport seniors to activities.

5. Spend time with a pet

A playful kitten or puppy can add joy to a senior’s life. Seniors who bond with a pet lower their cortisol (the fight-or-flight hormone) and increase their serotonin (the feel-good hormone). The long-term relationship between a senior and a pet reduces stress and fights depression.

6. Address health changes

If hearing impairment causes the senior to shy away from social interactions, consider seeing a doctor for solutions. An improvement to hearing can help seniors feel more confident in social settings. Similarly, mobile-impaired seniors can rely on professional caregivers for transportation.

7. Embrace technology

While seniors may not jump at using devices, like Alexa or Facetime, technology can be learned. Online community services geared toward those 65 and over allow seniors to meet new friends, vent frustrations, and learn new technology without leaving the home.

Opportunities to engage with others are available to seniors of all ability levels. Caregivers should remember, however, that socialization needs vary among seniors. Some may prefer solitary activities, like crocheting, while others look forward to being the center of attention at bridge games.

Socialization reduces loneliness in the elderly. When families live too far away to interact regularly with their aging loved ones, the next best solution is companion care from Assisting Hands Home Care. We are a leader in compassionate elder care and ensure the senior in your life enjoys each day.

Care recipients look forward to visits from our companion caregivers. Not only do we provide help with personal hygiene, grocery shopping, light housekeeping, and transportation, but we are excellent companions. Our caregivers take time to build strong social bonds with the seniors we serve.

Assisting Hands Home Care companion caregivers initiate conversations, play card games, and join seniors in recreational pursuits. We take the elderly on safe outings, too. As a result of our companion care, older adults experience a boost in mood as well as reduced feelings of loneliness and isolation.

Families trust Assisting Hands Home Care for our dependable senior care. Give the elderly loved one in your life the gift of companion care or overnight care. Contact our home care agency at (214) 760-6944 to schedule an in-home consult for senior care in Coppell, Dallas, Richardson, University Park, Highland Park, Texas, and the surrounding communities.