Know About The Elder Loneliness Epidemic

Our means of communication has improved, but we as a society are lonely; this applies mostly to elders in and around us. Studies by the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) shows that 18% of elders lived alone with 43% reporting feelings of loneliness on a regular basis. The cognitive power of these elders could soon decline and they could die faster.  

Loneliness is contagious and it is observed that elders who are lonely are prone to behave in such a way that other people do not want to be around them. They also have a tendency to isolate themselves further by pushing people away and also not making an effort to engage with others.

The University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) also found that every 2 out of 3 older adults that were either married or lived with some kind of partner complained of loneliness; this lends credence to the fact it was the quality of relationship that was important. Loneliness was also due to certain elders who were alone in nursing homes and assisted living communities; they had totally disorienting experiences.

It was also found that even when elders were cared by family caregivers, they had very less deep and engaging communication with other family members. Also the modern trend of the breakdown of family relationships has caused many elderly people to feel as though they have been "pushed to the side," and forgotten about.

Ways to alleviate loneliness in our dear elders:

Listen and observe: Encourage elders to express themselves could make us discover and kindle their interests and passions that are dormant.  You have to dig deep and awaken those forgotten activities that they enjoyed before. 

Develop a strategy to defeat seclusion: Next use the information to develop a personalized loneliness eradication plan.  If a lonely couple likes to cook and garden, you could encourage the couple to cook and invite some of their dear friends for a lunch or dinner party. If they no longer wish to garden outside, you could bring the flora inside to encourage them to carry on their long lost hobby. Similarly you could encourage an elder who sings to sing in the community by starting off by humming a few lines and listening to him as he continues.

Let them teach you: You could connect with the elder and benefit from their hard earned knowledge; you could learn something new daily, be it embroidery, cooking or gardening. This would not only be a bonding experience, but would also do its bit to balance the child-parent dynamic that may have been seemed to have ended when you started caring for her.

Bridge the generation gap: Parents should come up with ways by which the grandparents can spend time together with grandchildren; the elders are to be viewed as sources of wisdom and not as crazy and boring. Elders if properly engaged have a lot to contribute to their families; an elderly adult could experience cognitive decline at a faster rate only when they are not mentally stimulated with interaction with other people. 

It's the thought that counts: Encourage other family members to reach out to elders; it could be a card, sending them one of their favorite foods or sending them a message or talking to them on a regular basis. This would go a long way to making a senior feel loved and connected to the rest of the family.

Have you overcome the loneliness epidemic of your loved elder; this would make dying a bit easier for them.

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