loneliness in seniors: the cure for isolation is staying connected
we're hardwired to feel most comfortable when we’re connected and sharing strong emotions and stories, despite the solitude that modern life imposes.
8 minute read
eric small, centre, with members of the hmcs edmonton in november 2022.
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eric small was just 15 when he joined the royal canadian navy in 1951, eager to follow in the footsteps of his dad and uncles who had served on navy vessels in wartime. back then, 15 was the minimum legal age to leave school and make your way in the world. “when i joined the navy, i spent a year-and-a-half learning how to be a radio operator and cryptographer and was on a destroyer ship first,” says small, an 87-year-old in chilliwack, b.c.
he served eight years, and was stationed in the mediterranean in 1955 and 1956 where he was lord louis mountbatten’s cryptographer. “it was very interesting. i was decrypting the messages for him and so i knew what was going on,” small recalls. he still remembers naval communication protocols and morse code.
decades later, small had a chance to revisit his service days. along with his wife and daughter, he boarded the hmcs edmonton, moored in north vancouver, for a personal tour of the ship, and an opportunity to talk with the captain. it was a moving experience, he says with emotion rising in his voice, “it reminded me of my youth. it was a wonderful day.”
the event was the result of careful planning by the chartwell foundation, a charity dedicated to granting the wishes of any canadian senior, 65 and older, to help them feel connected and engaged, and encourage them to pursue their dreams. small had submitted his wish to be part of the navy again for a day and it came true. as his wife catherine notes, “it was good to see eric so involved and relaxed.”
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the silent struggle: social isolation among seniors
the wishes are one novel approach to combat the issues of social isolation and loneliness that are considered a sweeping epidemic for vulnerable populations like seniors. according to statistics canada living solo report, the prevalence of living alone has always been highest at older ages, and this was still the case in canada in 2021. solo dwellers represented 42 per cent of all people aged 85 and older in private households, compared with seven per cent of people aged 20 to 24. alarmingly, the suicide rate among men aged 80 and older in canada is 21.5 per cent per 100,000, the centre for mental health and addiction reports. social isolation is flagged as a risk factor.
while there are hermits who live happy lives, people are primarily social creatures. we rely on each other to survive and thrive. and we’re hardwired to feel most comfortable when we’re connected and sharing strong emotions and stories, despite the solitude that modern life imposes.
an editorial in the journal nature human behaviour sheds light on why cooperation in groups is integral to our way of life, sharing in food production and protecting each other in adverse conditions through history. researchers rebecca koomen and ester herrmann from the max planck institute for evolutionary anthropology in leipzig, germany showed that children as young as six can spontaneously find ways to collaborate to maintain a shared, limited resource. and a 2017 review of scientific literature in this area led by katherine mcauliffe, assistant professor of psychology at boston college and principal investigator at the cooperation lab, documented that children acquire notions of fairness from an early age. humans were designed to live and work together.
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the converse of living isolated and feeling disconnected is harmful to us. the covid-19 pandemic lockdowns gave us all a taste of what isolation feels like, and for many seniors this experience didn’t start or end with the pandemic.
what happens in older adulthood is we typically transition from work to retirement, or leave our home community and move elsewhere for a change or to be closer to family. many seniors live alone while family members reside in other parts of the country or on different continents. this means they lose those valuable social connections and may struggle to make new ones while at the same time facing health concerns like limited mobility. others are also outliving family and friends as the years pass.
the negative outcome of losing connections is social isolation, where individuals don’t engage regularly with others at all, and loneliness, which is the more subjective feeling of sadness and being left out.
the harsh reality: isolation’s impact on health
in his work with aging seniors and their families, dr. roger wong sees the realities of these challenges on the frontlines.
“we know that social isolation can lead to loneliness, and loneliness and social isolation can have a negative impact on health,” says wong, clinical professor of geriatric medicine at the university of british columbia in vancouver, b.c. he also served as president of the canadian geriatrics society and was appointed to the order of canada for his contributions to geriatric care. he notes that a growing body of medical research is demonstrating how meaningful social connections are critical for health – and the consequences when these connections are lacking or overlooked.
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“there have been a number of psychological studies that have looked statistically at health outcomes that compare it to smoking. it’s like smoking 15 cigarettes a day and therefore reducing the life expectancy by an average of eight years. that’s a lot.”
the issue is not just about mental health, which has been recognized, but physical health. social isolation and loneliness can be stressful, setting people up for cardiovascular disease, hypertension, poor sleep and heightened inflammatory responses to stress. this means the immune system doesn’t work as well or starts to completely backfire, leading to autoimmune diseases like diabetes and rheumatoid arthritis. experts say treatment will become an even bigger issue for healthcare services.
seeking solutions: the complexity of social engagement
so, what’s the solution?
wong points to the advancements in brain health and prevention of dementia as one example where one of the most important ways to delay the onset of dementia is through socialization – what he calls the “antidote.” but in many ways, it is a complex antidote to deliver.
how can you develop programs that are accessible to people with lower socio-economic backgrounds where challenges like transportation may be a barrier, or visible minority populations with language issues? how do you accommodate people with vision or hearing loss or limited mobility? and how do you frame programs that would attract people?
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“if you say, ‘hey, i have a program here for older adults who are feeling lonely,’ no one would come because there’s a stigma,” wong adds.
he sees the best scenarios for supporting social engagement for seniors happening in neighbourhoods at the grassroots level. he stresses that it’s important to be geographically in the same vicinity versus distances apart. and while there is merit to virtual experiences, in-person connections are preferred. there is a tendency to think the sheer number of connections and interactions on social media makes a difference, but if those connections don’t take root and build meaningful context, people may still experience loneliness.
“this is why the whole concept of neighbour and other community members are so important. oftentimes, when we talk about the concept of neighbourhood watch, we think about security on the local streets. but i think of neighbourhood watch as an opportunity for people living close to these older adults to engage them in socially meaningful ways,” wong says.
“when it happens locally, from the bottom up, people are easier to mobilize. they understand it.” part of the answer is more community centres with offerings for seniors, community classes at local schools and libraries for developing new hobbies and practical learning about computers. the aim is for seniors to be social in a group while they’re enjoying activities, and opportunities need to be tailored to meet the unique needs of the community.
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“a good example will be seniors going to a community centre, they do an exercise class together, whether it’s yoga or tai chi, and then afterwards they hang out over coffee and they talk. all that is really good,” he says, noting another proven therapy for protecting brain health is physical activity combined with socializing, so there are multiple benefits to these approaches. wong also recognizes the need for adequate resources and funds to develop programs and best practices.
with more awareness of these issues as the population ages, we’ll likely hear more about innovation in the space. the university of toronto’s goldie nejat, mechanical engineering professor and canada research chair in robots for society, is designing interactive robots to help seniors with daily life like meal prep and clothing recommendations and recreational activities like bingo games and trivia. her team has tested the robots with seniors living alone and in retirement residences to promote independence and well-being.
vancouver’s hey neighbour collective, where apartment dwellers are paid to be social concierges, is working with simon fraser university and local governments to create policies for social well-being in multi-unit housing, with a focus on common rooms, outdoor seating and intersecting pathways. these policies will benefit everyone, especially seniors who want to age at home.
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a national call to action: the need for a coherent strategy
at the federal level, the age well at home initiative is scaling up funding for organizations that meet the needs of diverse groups of seniors, like geriatric care centres and non-profit groups to help them lead healthy, independent lives. these are good steps, but the national institute on ageing says canada needs a national strategy, like other countries have adopted, to consistently measure and track the prevalence and impact of social isolation and loneliness across the country, and have the data to evaluate interventions.
wong is confident about moving forward: “i absolutely remain hopeful that all of us can work together to really combat the negative health effects, both physical and mental, of social isolation and loneliness. we have learned a lot more about what could happen, but more importantly, what we can do about it. and that is through creating ways to socialize, raising awareness and taking action.”
karen hawthorne is a toronto-based writer.
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