{"id":7187,"date":"2016-01-04T07:55:09","date_gmt":"2016-01-04T13:55:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.senioradvisor.com\/blog\/?p=7187"},"modified":"2017-09-19T13:16:39","modified_gmt":"2017-09-19T18:16:39","slug":"the-very-real-dangers-of-senior-loneliness","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/d30braiqprupoq.cloudfront.net\/blog\/2016\/01\/the-very-real-dangers-of-senior-loneliness\/","title":{"rendered":"The Very Real Dangers of Senior Loneliness"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Very Real Dangers of Senior Loneliness\"The<\/h1>\n

Physical<\/em> problems are good at making themselves known. You have a clear pain in a specific part of your body that you can describe to the doctor to get the treatment you need. Some seniors might not do a great job of letting their caregivers know about all their pains, but for the most part physical pains are problems that are easy to spot.<\/p>\n

Emotional<\/em> problems are more complicated. Many seniors come from an era where they were taught not to complain much, or even to see mental health issues as something to be ashamed of.\u00a0 If they feel isolated and alone, it can be easy to decide it\u2019s their own problem and they\u2019d better just deal with it without complaining. But loneliness (and its very serious companion depression<\/a><\/strong>) can be as deadly as many physical ailments if not treated properly.<\/p>\n

Senior Loneliness is Common<\/h2>\n

Some who have covered the subject of senior isolation are prone to refer to it as a \u201cloneliness epidemic<\/a><\/strong>.\u201d There\u2019s something to that \u2013 the numbers of people affected are significant.\u00a0 According to the U.S. Census Bureau<\/a><\/strong>, 11 million people over 65 \u2013 that\u2019s over a third<\/em> of the total \u2013 live alone<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Living alone in and of itself doesn\u2019t mean a senior will suffer from the devastating effects of loneliness. Those that get out and participate in social activities, see their family members and friends regularly, and make the effort to stay in contact with other people don\u2019t have much to worry about. But as age makes mobility more difficult, limits transportation options, and takes more and more of a senior\u2019s loved ones away in death, the risks grow.<\/p>\n

The Health Effects of Loneliness<\/h2>\n

Researchers have started to find evidence for what many people in the geriatric profession have long known to be true \u2013 loneliness can seriously limit a person\u2019s life span, not to mention their quality of life in its last years. A 2012 study<\/a><\/strong> showed a link between social isolation and higher rates of mortality<\/em> for people over 52.<\/p>\n

That should be troubling enough, but that\u2019s not all. Loneliness:<\/p>\n