Loneliness, as we know, is an ever-lasting problem for elders. They have nobody to spend time with, and some just sit in their chairs and watch television. But how does loneliness impact a person’s health? Loneliness includes symptoms of forgetting and confusion. Elderly that were considered lonely died prematurely from smoking, obesity…

Loneliness and social isolation is linked to serious mental health issues, per the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention site. “Social isolation was associated with about a 50% increased risk of dementia and other serious medical conditions.” Dementia is the condition of loss of cognitive thinking. This can lead to memory loss or lack of social ability. 

“Poor social relationships (characterized by social isolation or loneliness) was associated with a 29% increased risk of heart disease and a 32% increased risk of stroke.“ These issues can lead to brain or heart damage, or long-term disability. “Social isolation significantly increased a person’s risk of premature death from all causes, a risk that may rival those of smoking, obesity, and physical inactivity.” As these statistics show, loneliness is linked with death.

“Loneliness among heart failure patients was associated with a nearly 4 times increased risk of death, 68% increased risk of hospitalization, and 57% increased risk of emergency department visits.”

As one can see, loneliness, in fact, is a huge problem, leading to multiple issues like premature death, suicide, depression, heart failure, and more serious issues. 

The awareness of loneliness needs to be spread. It might not seem like a huge problem right now, but studies predict that loneliness is only getting worse. According to Science of People, “30% of older adults reported loneliness” in 2018. “58% of Americans often felt like no one in their life knew them well” was reported in 2019. 

More studies from Roots of Loneliness say that “47% of Americans report their relationships with others are not meaningful.” Another survey reported that “Single or not, 57% of Americans report eating all meals alone.”

These loneliness numbers are huge when talking about the US population (336 Million). NaperTimes has created various articles that give people solutions to overcome their loneliness issue. If loneliness awareness doesn’t spread soon, elderly death rates are going to increase drastically.