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4 SOUTHERN SENIOR MAGAZINE | Winter 2020-2021 S Social Isolation and Loneliness in Seniors Some people use these terms in- terchangeably, but they are not the same. Loneliness is “subjec- tive” meaning that social relation- ships are lacking. There is a saying that you can be “lonely in a crowded room.” Social Isola- tion is “objective”. It is a measure of connectedness to family, friends, and the community. There are lots of people who are not lonely being by themselves. It is a choice. Socially Isolation increases a person’s mortality by 25%. They are also at increased risk for hypertension, Heart Attack, stroke, Diabetes, increased cholesterol, cognitive decline, dementia, and inflammation. Isolated adults are the ones we worry about, especially if they have dementia and Alzheimer’s. They frequently have unmet health needs. Living Alone with Dementia has the following concerns- 1. Depression/anxiety/disturbed sleep 2. Paranoia/mistrust/fear 3. Financial difficulties and exploitation 4. Family support conflicts and pet neglect. 5. No transportation 6. Difficulty remembering to eat and take meds 7. Multiple chronic conditions Living alone with dementia causes increased health problems- 1. Decreased gate speed 2. Poor cognition 3. Depression 4. Worsening health 5. Impaired day-time functioning 6. Poor sleep 7. Increased death There are also problems with them getting the correct amount of pain control. 40-50% of seniors have moder- ate pain and 25-30% have severe pain yet only about 40% of these are given medication to control the pain. Several studies have shown that the most needed serv- ices are- transportation, personal care, registered dieti- tian, home medications, environmental safety, medic alert, visiting physicians and money management. We should also not rely to heavily on technological solutions to the problem. We need to allow safe in-person visits with these adults. This has become more difficult with the Covid-19 epidemic and the closing of our senior cen- ters, etc. So, reach out to your elderly family, friends, and neigh- bors. Write letters, send cards, call them. Have a socially distanced yard visit. Information from the National Council on Aging. By Dawn Vosbein MS, MPH, RD, LDN