Page 3 - Jan newsletter

The Mental Health Benefits health. Additionally, individuals with limited social lives are
more likely to suffer from the following health concerns:
of Socializing for Seniors
Hypertension
Coronary artery disease
Cardiac failure
Depression
Anxiety
Alzheimers (and other forms of dementia)

Social isolation and loneliness in older adults has also been
associated with unhealthy behaviors like physical inactivity
and smoking.

Risk factors of social isolation for seniors
According to the National Center for Biotechnology Infor-
mation (NCBI), seniors have an increased risk of perceived
loneliness and social isolation when compared to the rest
of the U.S. population. Factors that increase the risk of iso-
lation in seniors include:

Being over the age of 80
Chronic health conditions
Limited contact with friends and family
Lack of resources

It’s important to understand the potential health risks for
Nearly three in ten American seniors live alone, according seniors who are susceptible to social isolation. In a re-
to the National Institute on Aging, at nearly 13.8 million cent CDC publication, a study by the National Academies
people. There’s nothing wrong with seniors maintaining of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine concluded that so-
their independence, but it’s important to recognize the cial isolation significantly increased a person’s risk of
benefits of socializing for seniors and the hazards of ne- premature death from all causes. These risks may rival
glecting the social aspect of senior life. This article will those of smoking, obesity and physical inactivity, especially
highlight the benefits of socialization in seniors, with some with older adults. In this study, loneliness and social isola-
ideas on how to avoid the dangers of isolation. tion were associated with approximately a 50% increased
risk of dementia, a 29% increased risk of heart disease and
Why is Socialization Important for Seniors? a 32% increased risk of stroke.

People are inherently social. This may seem obvious and
self-evident, but a growing amount of research confirms The Mental Health Benefits of Socialization in Seniors
the social aspect of human life. According to Dr. Craig Saw- Psychology and mental health has received increasing
chuk, Ph.D., a Mayo Clinic psychologist, “We are social ani- attention in the past decades, especially as it relates to
mals by nature, so we tend to function better when we’re health overall. Seniors represent a particularly vulnerable
in a community setting and being around others.” Unfortu- population when it comes to mental health concerns. Ac-
nately, seniors are more likely to isolate or experience cording to The Lancet, depression has an especially serious
loneliness than the rest of the population. A study by impact on seniors with ongoing medical conditions. De-
the UCSF Division of Geriatrics found that 43% of seniors pression has been shown to worsen disability, increase the
regularly experience loneliness. severity of chronic illness, raise mortality rates, and cause
s seniors get older, their risk of isolation increases. To pre- suffering for seniors and their families.
vent the negative effects of loneliness and isolation in sen-
iors, it’s especially important for seniors (and their loved Fortunately, socialization has been shown to be one of the
ones) to be proactive about staying engaged throughout most effective ways for seniors to improve their mental
the day. health. According to the American Public Health Associa-
tion, socialization improves mood, cognition, memory re-
The Health Hazards of Senior Isolation call, and is associated with healthy behaviors, including
exercise. Connecting with family and friends
Senior isolation affects nearly every aspect of their lives. through technology, exercise, games like bingo and cards,
On top of the effects on mood and mental health, isolation and other activities has a profound effect on the mental
often leads to physical deterioration. In a study from health of seniors.
the National Academy of Sciences, lonely and isolated sen-
iors showed higher rates of poor physical and mental —Www.Seniorlifestyle.com