Health Risks for Lonely Seniors
Apr 13th, 2020 | By Sharon Shaw Elrod MSW EdD | Category: Senior Moments BlogIn this time of social isolation due to COVID19, seniors may find themselves spending too many hours alone and lonely. To be sure, time alone does not necessarily mean one is lonely; we can be lonely in a crowd as well as just being alone. The issue is perceived loneliness, that is, if a senior feels or believes they are lonely, they are.
The National Institute on Aging (NIA) is an arm of the National Institute of Health (NIH), and NIA has looked at this issue for a number of years. The results of their research are troubling for many seniors; their website says this “Research has linked social isolation and loneliness to higher risks for a variety of physical and mental conditions: high blood pressure, heart disease, obesity, a weakened immune system, anxiety, depression, cognitive decline, Alzheimer’s disease, and even death.”