Social Isolation In Older Adults

The social isolation risks rose up with development of social exclusion and hardship, such as addiction, divorce, disability, separation and illness. An also, people confront with predicament exacerbation by the

Therefore, psycho-social vulnerability and social isolation were significant factors which enhanced both mental and physical functional vulnerability leading to frail older adults. Thus, the fall in social support may affect psychological and physical vulnerability, while social vulnerability has a potential to predict an increase of frailty in the

Social isolation is a social issue where people avoid contact with one society. They are commonly seen nowadays preventing people from interacting with another as well as creating reliable relations, abating any chances for one to realize their destiny. This negative spiral immensely affects the opportunity for people holding a feeling of love and community toward others.

Social isolation can have a significant impact on mental health. The studies done by the authors, show that those who are socially isolated experience more stress and cognitive decline. Cacioppo, Hawkely, Norman and Bernston (2011) and Hawkley and Cacioppo (2009) show that the lack of consistent human contact sometimes due to the unwillingness of others to befriend the mentally ill. Social isolation is both a cause and an effect of mental distress. When the person isolates more, they face more mental distress.

It can be construed as having two components: a lack of pleasurable engagement and a socially painful disconnection, with the lack of pleasurable engagement being more closely tied to negative outcomes like depression and social impairment (Joiner, Lewinsohn, & Seeley, 2002). In a study of 200 breast cancer survivors, lonelier participants experienced significantly more pain, depression, and fatigue than less lonely participants (Jaremka et al., 2003). Lonelier participants also reported lower pain tolerance than non-lonely participants in laboratory pain studies (Oishi et al., 2012). Within people, morning loneliness significantly predicted end of day pain in patients with fibromyalgia (Wolf, Davis, Yeung, & Tennen, 2015). Taken together, these findings suggest that loneliness predicts worse pain outcomes, both within and between

High-quality social relationships, wherein people experience camaraderie and happiness, yield substantial health benefits. For instance, social ties such as marriage and religious involvement have been linked to healthier choices with diet and exercise, possibly because these connections promote positive behavioral norms (Umberson and Montez, 2010). High-quality social relationships also promote mental health by offering individuals a sense of place within a meaningful environment. When people feel connected and supported, they tend to experience a greater sense of control, a psychological state shown to be both associated and causally linked to good health (Lachman and Weaver, 1998). Positive psychological effects of social relationships improve physical health by making it easier for the body to maintain chemical homeostasis over long periods of time by alleviating its “allostatic load” (Umberson and Montez, 2010). Ultimately, these components of high-quality social relationships make people less likely to get sick and die.

Throughout her everlasting injury and recovery, someone was always there by her side. From her sister to her husband to her best friend, she always had a companion with her. Lauren was extremely lucky and she realized how lucky she was to have such amazing guardians who gave her endless hope and support. Who knows if she could have made it without her loved ones. Looking back at her injury, Lauren notes,“My guardians - my husband, my parents, and my doctors and nurses- helped to prevent death from stealing me, but only by the narrowest margin” (Manning 91). Also, in a recent New York Times article, Elizabeth Pope says, “Loneliness is a risk factor for functional decline and early death in adults over age 60, according to a University of California, San Francisco study published in July. More than 43 percent of the 1,604 participants reported that they often felt left out or isolated or lacked companionship.” These are two examples that highlight how companionship is essential for one to survive. When one is going through difficult times such as injuries or illnesses, they need a friend or family member to be there with them. Many people out there are dying at a young age because of extreme loneliness and isolation. Humans need each other, especially during times of misery. The amazing people who surround and care for us everyday are truly important and should never be taken advantage

Not only does it increase the risk for suicide, but he said it ties to hardening of the arteries, inflammation in the body, and problems with memory and learning. He also proved that loneliness results in an early death. He did an experiment with flies, and the ones that had contact with others lived longer than the ones that were isolated. This shows just how important communication with others is. Isolation isn’t just a problem in Of Mice and Men, but a big problem seen in older adults. A New York Time article showed a survey that Dr. Perissinotto did in 2012 about isolated older adults. He reported that 43% of 1,604 adults over 60 felt lonely, and the ones that admitted feeling lonely had significantly higher health issues, and even resulted in death the next 6

In “social isolation and perceived barriers to establishing social networks among Latina immigrants”, Hurtado de Mendoza, Gonzales, Serrano, Kaltman (2014) argues that Latina immigrants who come to the United States suffer can suffer from social isolation that affects their overall health. The study was conducted on Latina immigrants between the ages of 18-70. It condcluded that a repeated factor resoposible for their social isolation was the comparision they made between their homelands and the new envorminet they were exposed to when arriving to the Unites States. The study wanted to acknoweldge the barrieres that are experciended with an unreperesented population, this being Latina immigrants experviening social isolation.

121). Mrs Field lives alone and does not like strangers in her home, nor does she have a high level of social capital, creating additional barriers of care (College of Nursing & Health Sciences 2015). This complication may impact the delivery of care, if Mrs Field does not like strangers in her home, she may not like being visited by healthcare services such as social workers, OTs, nor like being supplied home-delivered meals. Applying the theory of Erikson’s developmental stages, Mrs Field is at the stage of integrity versus despair; this stage of development refers to an individual’s life and whether it was meaningful and what they were able to or were unable to accomplish in their life (Guerin & Guerin 2013a, pp. 55-6; 2013b, p. 39). In addition, this developmental theory shows that social context contributes to integrity versus despair, presenting the imperative role of the nurse to develop integrity rather than despair with Mrs Field through social interaction, communication and effective patient-centred planning (Guerin & Guerin 2013a, p. 56). Through the gathered information the nurse may start to plan Mrs Field’s care around her social isolation, however, an assumption of Mrs Field’s social isolation and lifestyle may impact the plan of care. The main consensus on social isolation in the elderly is that they are at risk of loneliness when isolated at home without much community interaction (Wethington & Pillemer 2014, p. 247). However, evidence shows that isolation and loneliness are subjective and unique to each individual (Aged and Community Services Australia 2015, pp. 5-6). While some elderly may become socially isolated, this can be a lifestyle preference and deliberate, therefore, planning social events in this case, would prove as a barrier to

Aging adults who are socially active and maintain or increase their interactions with others as they age have a slower progression of health declines than elderly people who become less socially engaged over time. These aging adults who are

The elderly that are more at risk of isolation include those who reside in urban areas (Dwyer and Hardill 2011), as urban life damages kinship bonds and personal relationships (Simmel 1903). Around half of the elderly over 80 years old report frequent isolation (Dykstra 2009), so prefer to spend more time in the private sphere, notably the home (AARP 1996) as it possesses memories and nostalgia (Gregory et al. 2009 p.340) thus

The ability to support the older people keep up social ties with the use of technical devices such as telephone is vital, and there is indication that older people may benefit from the use of internet as a befriending opportunity (Skingley, 2013). According to Age UK (2009), there is no evidence to effectiveness of services aimed at reducing loneliness and social isolation among older people, but concludes that there is a need to focus on befriending services for older people, in particular the effectiveness of such services in terms of their impact on older people’s quality of life and their overall preventive value.

This study investigated the difference between emotional and social loneliness using structural equation modeling, evaluated whether a two-dimensional or unidimensional conception of loneliness provides a better fit to the data. Second, the extent to which positive and negative social exchanges are associated with older adults’ loneliness was examined. Third, they also investigated whether the structure and social-exchange correlates of loneliness differ for currently married versus formerly married older

Social Isolation can be defined as a continual lack of contact with other people. Social isolation and chronic loneliness is one of the indisputable signals of mental turmoil, including major depression. It is the withdrawal of self from social roles directly or indirectly among individuals. Loneliness is the feeling of emptiness and desolation. This issue can immensely negative consequences on older persons such as a wide variation of premature health issues.