Opinion: Many seniors struggle with social isolation and loneliness and its ill health effects. Our New Year’s resolution should be to prioritize them.
to end loneliness. That kind of national commitment is important for dispelling the myth that social isolation and loneliness are states of being that individuals choose to enter or can control.
In fact, many isolated people want connections. Personal attributes over which we have no control — such as living with a disability or chronic illness or experiencing poverty — contribute to social isolation and loneliness. So do structural concerns such as lack of transportation, poor or nonexistent health care and social services and limited opportunities for recreation and social activities.There’s a cost to our nation when our seniors suffer.
So, this holiday season, I encourage you to reach out to someone you know. Ask them a simple, yet rarely voiced question: “Are you lonely?” Then invite them to tell you their story. If enough of us take the time to see and reach out to people in our lives who are struggling with loss, depression, anxiety or, yes, loneliness, we’ll all be better for it.
Donato Tramuto is CEO of Tivity Health, which provides SilverSneakers, the nation’s largest community fitness program for older adults. He is also founder of the Tramuto Foundation and Health eVillages. Follow him on Twitter:
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