Accumulating research suggests loneliness may be as deadly as smoking or obesity. Interaction with peers, time spent with family, and a community support system can help prevent isolation and lead to improved physical, emotional, and mental well-being. If you’re concerned your loved one is suffering from isolation, consider this expert advice on how to combat loneliness in the elderly.
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“Social connection is sort of like the silver bullet to warding off depression and dementia,” notes Cleveland Clinic Center for Geriatric Medicine Section Chief Dr. Ardeshir Hashmi. “That’s how important it is.”
Some congregations and schools have outreach programs designed to help lonely seniors, but something as simple as a neighbor checking on your loved one can increase connection. Let trusted neighbors know about any issues the senior may have, and ask them to let you know if anything seems amiss.
If you live near your relative, visit when you can. Whether you plan an activity or just sit and chat, time with family can be invaluable.
Home care can combat loneliness in the elderly. In-home caregivers offer assistance with tasks like housekeeping, meal preparation, and transportation. But they also provide much-needed companionship for older adults.
There’s great power in intergenerational connections, which is something we’ve observed through history, but recent scientific research has been proving it as well. Grandchildren, great grandchildren — nothing can bring more joy.
Not only does shared housing reduce costs, but the daily interactions can prevent senior isolation. There are roommate-matching agencies that perform background checks — necessary for safety in shared living situations — and pair people with common interests and lifestyles.
In-home caregivers help with tasks like housekeeping, meal preparation, and transportation. They also provide much-needed companionship for older adults.
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Our free tool provides options, advice, and next steps based on your unique situation.
Learning new things and developing new skills provides intellectual and social stimulation.
Teaching children to read, communal gardening, and being a docent at local art museums are all great ways to make new friends. Many local service and philanthropic clubs offer opportunities for seniors as well.
Take the time to learn what makes your loved one happy and try to join them in that pursuit. Even if you don’t live nearby, you can ask about their hobbies during phone calls.
“This can also be very rewarding for caregivers themselves,” Hashmi explains. “They often look back at this time and say, ‘That is the best time we were able to spend, because we could see the joy it brought to our loved one.’”
Senior centers have a wide variety of courses tailored toward the elderly, from singing to watercolor painting. Also, most senior living communities will bring in experts and volunteers to lead unique activities, such as chair yoga and sculpting.
While a cruise ship retirement or guided senior travel tours may not work for everyone, these can be a way to see the world and make new friends along the way.
Exercise and moving our bodies releases endorphins, reduces stress, and just makes us feel good. Exercise is especially beneficial for older adults and supports a positive body image and confidence, which are important in social settings.
Remember that compliments and positive comments can go a long way to boosting the self-esteem of seniors. Similarly, discouraging seniors from fretting over their appearance may help them avoid becoming self-conscious to the point that they avoid social interactions.
Group classes are a fun way to maintain physical fitness and prevent senior isolation. “People can do those exercises at home, but if you are in an exercise class and doing tai chi, you’re being held accountable as a group — and it can be more fun,” Hashmi says. “There are a lot of neurotransmitters and endorphins being released during that activity that offer positive feedback. So the brain tells you to do more of it because you got such a good feeling from it.”
Often, seniors are going through things that younger people — even family caregivers — can’t fully understand. Having a support network of peers can combat loneliness in the elderly by offering a safe space to talk about the concerns that come with age.
Hashmi notes that older people may be comfortable discussing death and loneliness in a way that younger people aren’t accustomed to, so being able to speak openly can help prevent anxiety and loneliness.
Spending time with younger people can add vitality to a daily routine. Hashmi suggests encouraging elderly loved ones to start conversations and remind them they have a lot to share. “Even though the people are younger, they’re living through milestones a senior has already been through. They have the time to learn from them,” he says.
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Whether your loved one has been outgoing their whole life or has preferred the company of a small group of friends and family, socializing is important.
Take the time to understand their interests. They may or may not want a more active social calendar than they preferred in their younger years. Or their capacity for social engagements may have changed. “Reduced metabolism, lower appetite, and drug side effects can take their toll,” Hashmi says. Even if they once were the life of the party, they may be more comfortable in a laid-back setting now.
Today’s seniors have seen the rise of computers and a huge number of new technologies. Don’t assume they’re naïve to technology – they may surprise you with knowledge and interests you didn’t know they had.
“Seniors have dealt with a lot of changes in their life,” Hashmi says. “So, while technology might be a challenge, it’s not an insurmountable challenge. A lot of seniors use things like FaceTime, or even devices like Alexa, to help them stay connected.” Cell phones to talk with friends, tablets to video-chat grandkids, and virtual home assistants all can facilitate connection and prevent loneliness in elderly adults.
Sites like Virtual Senior Center and 65+ chat rooms can be excellent places for seniors to meet new friends, air frustrations, and learn new technology without having to leave the house. Ensure your loved one is aware of possible internet scams before signing up for chat sites.
“Massive Open Online Courses,” or MOOCs, offer classes by top-notch instructors on a vast array of topics, perfect for seniors who want to keep learning but are unable to attend in person. Great Courses is just one example of platforms that offer practical options, from will-writing to financial management, introductory Mandarin to web development.
Sometimes, health-related changes can make it difficult for older adults to connect. For other people, environmental changes, such as reduced accessibility, can make socializing more difficult.
Physical changes that can lead to loneliness include:
As people age, their social circles also often shrink. Hashmi notes that a senior’s family moving away for jobs and education — along with friends moving to live with family, transitioning to senior living, or passing away — can lead to increased isolation.
Also, inadvertent ageism is a major culprit blocking older people from activities and opportunities, according to the International Longevity Center.[02]
“The opportunities for social connectivity could be very minimal for an older person, because so much of society is geared toward younger people,” Hashmi says. He cites exercise classes geared toward younger audiences as an example.
Being indoors increases feeling of loneliness. Not only is it more difficult for the elderly to leave without risking dangers like the cold, dangerous driving conditions and falls, it’s also harder for visitors to reach them.
It’s well-known that time spent with pets lowers heart rate, blood pressure, and stress levels. Over the long term, pet therapy can lower cholesterol levels, fight depression, and may even help protect against heart disease and stroke.[03,04]
Calm cats can be ideal for individuals with mobility challenges, while dogs are great companions for those who want to spend time walking outside or have a fenced-in yard.
Shelters may have programs for animal lovers who can’t care full time for a pet, and some home-care companies will bring well-behaved therapy dogs to appointments.
If your loved one is experiencing depression as a side effect of isolation and loneliness, consider exploring support groups or speaking with experts at local senior care agencies.
“In addition to improvement in memory and physical robustness, depression rates are much lower in people with a strong social support network,” Hashmi says.
Talking with a therapist can prevent isolation and connect seniors with a network of professionals who can help alleviate its effects. Discuss signs of senior depression at your loved one’s next visit to the doctor. Therapy may delay the progress of dementia, alleviate health concerns, and improve overall well-being.[05,06]
It’s harder to be lonely when you’re surrounded by neighbors, friends, and caretakers, whether that’s in a senior living community or a neighborhood with a high population of older adults.
Lisa P., whose mother moved into assisted living, was concerned about her mom becoming more isolated after her husband died.
“It (assisted living) was a big difference for mom and her quality of life. It was really striking, how much she thrived. She made friends and enjoyed her meals. She had lunch and breakfast with the same group of ladies,” Lisa recalls.
Most independent living and assisted living communities offer amenities such as restaurant-style dining, weekly happy hours, and safe spaces for interaction. To prevent loneliness in elderly adults, many communities also offer transportation to local stores and theaters, if open, and provide outdoor activities like gardening.
Memory care facilities have games and multisensory experiences tailored to residents with dementia. Speak to a prospective community’s activity director and review memory care activity schedules to ensure the community is a good fit for your loved one’s interests.
If you think senior living could help combat loneliness in your elderly loved one, reach out to one of our 400 local senior living experts at no cost to you. They can help guide you and your family through the process of finding the best community fit.
Wu R, Zhao J, Cheung C, et al. (2021, March 2). Learning as an important privilege: A life span perspective with implications for successful aging. Human Development.
International Longevity Center. Ageism in America.
Gramaglia C, Gattoni E, Marangon D, et al. Depressed elderly with no or mild cognitive impairment in long-term care facilities. A systematic review of the literature. (2021, July 16). Frontiers in Public Health.
National Institute of Health. The Power of Pets
Cacioppo S, Grippo A, London S, et al. (2016, March 1). Loneliness: Clinical import and interventions. Perspectives in Psychological Science.
Masi CM, Chen HY, Hawkley LC, et al. (2010, Aug. 17). A meta-analysis of interventions to reduce loneliness. Personality and Social Psychology Review.
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