No one enjoys the feeling of being lonely or experiencing isolation. But the sad truth is that for many seniors, it’s a feeling that they know all too well. As we get older, we tend to experience life events that serve to separate us from the world and people around us. Our children grow into adults and move away, we lose touch with friends and siblings or experience their passing, and we sometimes have difficulty getting out of the house to socialize due to mobility or sensory issues. All of these things contribute to isolation and loneliness in the elderly, which are technically two different things.
Social isolation, which is also sometimes referred to as objective isolation, is the physical separation of someone from other people. People experiencing social isolation typically have minimal social contact, few or even no quality relationships, and lack a sense of belonging. Where isolation differs from loneliness is that the focus of it is on social contact, rather than the subjective or perceived feelings of being alone. The key difference is objective vs subjective here. Loneliness is based on your personal feelings of your view of the situation, and isolation is based on the outside reality of your environment.
People are considered to be experiencing isolation if they live alone, seldom or never leave the house, have no close relatives, never visit anyone or receive visitors, have no contact with neighbors, do not have or never use the phone, or are alone for more than 9 hours of the day. They are considered to instead be lonely if they wish they had more friends, do not see enough of their existing friends and relatives, have little or no confidence, have no real friends living in close proximity to them, do not see or meet enough people, have no one that they can call upon for favors or help, or tend to spend holiday seasons alone and lonely. Many seniors will sadly meet most, if not all of these criteria, which is one reason that social isolation has begun to be synonymous with senior or elderly isolation.
Social isolation in the elderly is a growing concern, and many studies have been conducted to determine the causes, risk factors, and how it affects the health of seniors. Most studies agree loneliness and isolation can be as dangerous as alcoholism or heavy smoking, and can increase the risk of dementia by almost two-thirds as normal. It also can increase the likelihood of mortality by twenty-six percent. People who are lonely report an increase in the severity of felt pain and the effects of symptoms of diseases like the common cold.
The loneliness and social isolation that seniors experience is usually caused by low quality social relationships, or the lack of these relationships entirely. Social contacts tend to decrease as we age due to retirement, death of friends and family, and lack of mobility.
While there are many causes and risks for social isolation, we must always be on guard to counteract them. Check in on senior loved ones frequently, especially those at high risk of isolation.