How do we solve social isolation and loneliness? When will we say enough is enough?
Orlene Grant • September 17, 2024
The Juanita C. Grant Foundation has been advocating and implementing targeted interventions to help solve social isolation and loneliness for older adults since July 2020 through our Village Connector Experience structured call program. Lately, I noticed something happening more often after we close out an elder abuse and fraud prevention training session. One or more of the participants will come up to me and quietly share their story that, despite living in a senior residential apartment or retirement community, they feel disconnected from their surroundings and lonely. Too frequently they state they are not sure how one day they were in their home, then abruptly informed by their adult children, a decision had been made for them to be moved to a residential facility. Overnight, the move was made from a home with a lifetime of memories to a retirement community or senior center apartment complex.
A swift change in surroundings can disorientate anyone at any age, ultimately affecting one’s health and mental state. In conversations with my friends, I have come to appreciate the need to reassess and readjust my outlook, activities, and goals constantly. We all have hopes and stories of how we “see” ourselves in the very near future-senior residential facility, condo or apartment with built in help as needed.
It is important to take action “NOW” if you haven’t already and get a jump on preventing social isolation and loneliness:
- Schedule time with friends and family regularly-frequency counts.
- Reconnect with friends and family that may have become distant.
- Try something new. Seek out a wide range of activities with friends 10-20 years younger or older to share knowledge, talents, mutual interests-delight in differences and similarities.
- Sign up for group programs at libraries, senior activity centers, hobby centers, religious and community activities-you may have a hidden talent!
- Stretch yourself by joining online spaces, attending lectures, faith-based groups, exercise groups and book clubs.
- Find your untapped passion and volunteer with local organizations and advocacy groups to give back.
- If you are experiencing a loss or grief, don’t handle it alone, attend support groups.
- Look across the street. Say hello to neighbors during regular walks. Start a conversation.
- And if you are a pet person-what better social animal is there than a dog?
For more information or to share your thoughts on solving social isolation and loneliness, please write to me at ogrant@jcgfdn.org.
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