There are a number of things
that can contribute to social isolation and loneliness. They can range from aspects of your mental
and physical health to where you live and your financial situation. Each one has the potential to limit human
contact and thus increase the chances of social isolation.
Hearing. This is a big one. You may not be able to talk on the
phone. Group meetings or basic social
interactions can be hard. It could be
very easy to lose contact with friends.
Eyesight. Deteriorating vision can limit driving,
mobility, reading, and more. Poor
eyesight may cause you to stay in your room more; you may not feel as confident
now as you used to when you could see better.
For example, you don’t go out as much because you feel more vulnerable
and less secure. This lack of mobility
can make you feel like you are stuck in your own prison.
Poor physical health. For example, a heart condition. Poor health may prevent you from
participating in your previous hobbies (e.g., golf). Older adults may have to find new hobbies due
to physical ailments. This could
contribute to greater social isolation.
Mobility issues. Examples could include not being able to walk
very well, not being able to drive anymore and living somewhere with limited
access to public transportation. Obviously,
factors that could lead to increased isolation.
Age-segregated
communities. The type of housing we
occupy can greatly affect not only our physical but also our mental
wellbeing. Poorly designed housing
complexes, coupled with an age-segregated population of older adults needing
help with basic living, could contribute to unhappiness from a sense of
isolation, decreased mobility, ill health, and cognitive decline.
Cognitive or memory
impairment. Dementia can add a very
complicated layer to the already complicated issue of isolation and loneliness
in older adults. It can contribute to,
as well as exacerbate, isolation and loneliness. It makes loneliness mitigation attempts even more
challenging and difficult.
Fixed income. Unfortunately, having lower and fixed incomes
can be limiting when you age. Tight
finances can limit the options and opportunities available to some older
adults, thus possibly increasing isolation and maybe loneliness. For example, affording home-care services, or
the basic costs of leisurely endeavours.
Retired/empty nester. The daily and weekly social interactions that
you may have been used to, or happened kind of automatically at work or with
previous household members, are now not there anymore. The family may be farther away, making isolation
more likely.
Death of a partner/spouse and
friends. It can be hard to replace old,
longtime friends with new ones. And even
if you can, it often takes time.
Isolation and loneliness can sometimes creep in.
Lack of purpose or meaning in
life. This can sometimes be a core
reason for loneliness. There’s an old
saying that everyone needs something to make them get up and out of bed in the
morning.
Difficulty making contact
with others. For some people, it can be
hard to interact with other people.
Sometimes, you just need to get out of your comfort zone to initiate
social connections. It can be easy to
talk oneself out of it. Often times, it
is the hardest part and you just need to force yourself to do it.
No comments:
Post a Comment