The Continued Epidemic Of Loneliness: Individual And Systemic Responses
March 20, 2024
It’s likely no surprise that loneliness continues to be a significant public health concern in the United States. As we reported last year when Surgeon General Vivek Murthy raised alarms about the public health crisis of loneliness in our country, loneliness is not only a subjective individual feeling of disappointment…
Canine Company: Why You May Want A Dog in 2024
January 3, 2024
It’s no secret that among older adults, loneliness and dementia are ongoing and growing problems. Add to that the rise in older adults living alone and you have the makings of a real public health crisis as our population continues to get older. While there are all sorts of scientific…
Alone And Lonely: Responding To This Very Common Predicament
November 8, 2023
Is there a difference between being alone and being lonely? At this point, so many older adults are alone, vulnerable to the health consequences that are more likely as a solo ager and without the supports that typically allow an older adult to remain active and engaged. But does being…
New Friends: The Work Of Finding and Nurturing Friendships
January 4, 2023
The writer Paolo Coelho once wrote, “Friendship isn’t a big thing—it’s a million little things.” The value of friendships throughout your life, but especially as you get on in years, is truly underestimated. Both your physical and mental health benefit when friends are an integral part of your life, not…
Expectations Versus Reality: Why Do We Feel Lonely?
November 30, 2022
Mother Theresa once said, “The most terrible poverty is loneliness, and the feeling of being unloved.” Those are sentiments felt by many older adults, even those who live among other groups of people. That’s because feeling lonely has little to do with being by yourself (which is more correctly described…
Aging And Anxious: The Plight Of LGBTQ Older Adults
October 26, 2022
He’s known for his guest columns in the Washington Post and his recent humorous book, “Stupid Things I Won’t Do When I Get Old: A Highly Judgmental, Unapologetically Honest Accounting of All the Things Our Elders Are Doing Wrong.” But there’s nothing funny about his most recent column, entitled “The…