We are now deep into the holiday season and we at First Care are excited for the weeks to come and the chance to celebrate with our families. We also understand that the holidays can have different effects on individuals. This week, the topic is “Combating Loneliness: How seniors and their families fight against those emotions during such a festive holiday”. This year, we celebrate the holidays with all of the residents of the Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Westchester and Queens’ areas, where we have been honored to service with care and hope for continued improvements in 2011.
The holidays are a time of joy, family and laughter for most, but for others it can be a sad time of reflection and/or loneliness for those in particular who have lost someone dear to them. The American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) released several statistics on loneliness and seniors that were published through an article written by Erin Schmidt of brightstarcare.com. The study examined prevalence rates among older Americans, and also presented a descriptive profile of lonely older adults and examines the relationships between loneliness and health, health behaviors, involvement in a social network and use of technology for social communications and networking.
Key findings revealed:
• A little over one-third (35%) of the survey respondents were categorized as lonely.
• Older adults reported lower rates of loneliness than those who were younger (43% of those age 45-49 were lonely compared to 25% of those 70+). Married respondents were less likely to be lonely (29%) compared to never-married respondents (51%), and those with higher incomes were less likely to be lonely than those with lower incomes.
• Lonely respondents were less likely to be involved in activities that build social networks, such as attending religious services, volunteering, participating in a community organization or spending time on a hobby.
• Almost half (45%) of those who had lived in their current residence for less than 1 year reported feeling lonely.
• Loneliness was a significant predictor of poor health. Those who rated their health as “excellent” were over half as likely to be lonely than those who rated their health as “poor” (25% vs. 55%).
• Lonely and non-lonely respondents did not differ significantly from each other in terms of their frequency of email use. However, 13% of lonely respondents felt they have fewer deep connections now that they keep in touch with people using the Internet, compared to 6% of non-lonely respondents.
Loneliness is a very real issue for many people this time of year, and we can all make a difference in their lives by simply reaching out and bringing them into your circle of happiness. We can take the time to do things with them or for them, involve them in your holiday planning or if there are logistical problems consider one of the programs we offer at First Care. There are different types of home care services that are available including: Live in Care, Personal Care Aides, Home Health Aides and Companions. Let’s bring joy and happiness to our neighbors this holiday season, as they have done for us.
