Loneliness

It may be the season to be jolly and festive, but for many, especially older adults, the holiday season can be a time of challenge and dismay, bringing up past sorrows and missed loved ones or underscoring a sense of loneliness, even “invisibility.” In fact, many may question not only…

Data has shown that there’s an ever-growing community of people aging on their own, without the support or companionship of a partner, adult child, or other loved ones. According to a recent AARP survey, 21% of US adults age 50 and above live alone, representing 24 million people, including one…

Older members of the LGBTQ+ community have never had it easy. In addition to navigating all of the challenges older adults generally confront- such as physical limitations or cognitive impairment, loneliness and social isolation, loss of relationships, and financial challenges- these older adults have also likely dealt with a lifetime…

A recent public survey clearly tells the story of loneliness among older adults: 34% of older adults surveyed feel isolated, and 37% suffer from a lack of companionship. As one expert makes clear, “When Mondays are like Thursdays are like Saturdays, life can be rather drab, miserable, and meaningless.” Beyond…

There’s no getting around the reality that for so many older adults, loneliness continues to be an overbearing part of everyday life. As we have noted in previous posts, even if you have contact with other people and you’re not socially isolated, you may still experience profound loneliness (the subjective…

Unfortunately, this new year starts the same as previous years when it comes to the predicament of loneliness among older adults. An end-of-2024 study released by the National Poll On Healthy Aging reports that even though rates of loneliness and social isolation among older adults have returned to “pre-pandemic” levels,…