Though the vast majority of older adults today prefer to age in place over transition to a specialized eldercare community, this option presents many distinct challenges – especially for men and women without an extensive support network. In addition to evident physical impairments and the potential onset of dementia, social isolation is a very real risk, even among older adults who do move into specialized residences. This withdrawal has been shown to amplify existing health conditions and even increase the likelihood of an individual passing away before their time.
Thankfully, care managers and community members have come to better understand the importance of sustained social engagement among older adults in recent years. Advancements in telecare like Independa’s Angela have even been developed to tackle this exact issue by connecting older adults with loved ones via video chat, Facebook, shared calendars and more.
In addition, programs intended to unite older adults and create an infrastructure of support and engagement have cropped up across the country, including the incredible Aging in New York program that was featured by PBS this summer.
Recently, the U.K. Telegraph also shared the story of a woman who has founded a helpline for older adults who have chosen independent living.
“Loneliness has been estimated to be as dangerous to health as smoking 15 cigarettes a day, more life-threatening even than obesity. From my own experience, as a widow living alone for the first time in my seventies, I can understand why,” Esther Rantzen wrote in a candid piece on her decision to found “The Silver Line.”
The program initially launched as a pilot in Northern England less than a year ago, and Rantzen found that it was flooded with requests for regular calls by older adults who just needed to speak to someone. Even people with family members they contacted regularly expressed the desire to use the hotline as an outlet to openly discuss challenges they felt would be a burden to loved ones.
Rantzen noted that admitting to loneliness is challenging at any age, adding that there is a stigma to this form of emotional vulnerability. However, for older adults especially, overlooking this sentiment simply isn’t an option. If you are a care manager catering to older adults off-site or within a residential community, there are steps you can take to help combat this issue. Empowering your care recipients to reach out to loved ones simply and easily through Independa’s Angela interface is just one possibility. Contact us through our online form today to learn more about our innovative services.
