The University of Michigan’s Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation conducted a National Poll on Healthy Aging (NPHA) in January 2023, which asked 2,563 people between the ages of 50 and 80 about their social connections and any feelings of isolation they were experiencing in their lives. The poll’s findings revealed that many older people, [...]
Although COVID may never be completely gone, many aspects of life have returned to our pre-pandemic “normal.” A recent poll shows that this normalcy includes levels of loneliness reported by seniors. Yet these latest statistics around senior loneliness are still nothing to celebrate, according to experts. Quantifying senior loneliness The January 2023 National Poll on [...]
We’ve written before about how common loneliness is among seniors in this country. In fact, a 2018 study conducted by AARP Foundation found that 35 percent of Americans over age 45 say they are lonely — more than 1 in 3. That number is even higher among low-income groups (earning less than $25,000 per year) [...]
The holiday season is a joyful time for most people as they spend time with friends and family, eating delicious food and reminiscing about good times in years past. But for others, the period between Thanksgiving and New Year’s is particularly difficult as they struggle with loneliness and grief for loved ones who are no [...]
A few weeks ago, Bluespire Insider, a marketing group that focuses on promoting senior living communities, hosted a virtual roundtable conversation about innovative ways to encourage social connections for residents of continuing care retirement communities (CCRCs, or life plan communities), a subject I’m always interested in learning about. The roundtable was led by John Franklin [...]
Isolation is the “silent killer” affecting an estimated 8 million seniors in the U.S., but it is an epidemic that often goes unnoticed and untreated, according to a panel of experts who testified before the Senate Special Committee on Aging in April of this year. On average, 40 percent of seniors are impacted by the [...]
Making a senior living decision involves many considerations. To some people, remaining in their current home is paramount. For others, factors like downsizing, moving closer to loved ones, or reducing housing expenses is most important. For older adults who feel that moving to a retirement community is their ideal for senior living, the benefits can [...]
We see headlines all too often about the growing opioid epidemic in the U.S. and the skyrocketing number of fentanyl deaths. Recent data from the CDC shows that, among Americans aged 18 to 45, unintentional drug overdose is now the leading cause of death, above car accidents and suicide. But there is another “invisible epidemic” [...]
As we have shared many times, the majority of Americans — 77% of people age 50+ — say they want to remain in their home for as long as possible — sometimes referred to as “aging in place.” For many people, at the heart of this decision is a desire to remain in control of [...]
There is mounting evidence that people who are lonely or socially isolated may suffer a variety of negative health consequences. But with our nation’s growing number of “soloagers” — people who, by choice or circumstance, are aging alone — one of the most concerning findings is the correlation between social isolation and a 50% increase [...]
