Health and wellness as individuals, within our families, and in our communities.
People who are socially isolated and lonely have a higher rate of early mortality (Holt-Lunstad, Smith, Baker, Harris, & Stephanson, 2015); have an increased rate of all-cause mortality (Sakurai et al., 2019; Smith, Jackson, Kobayashi, & Steptoe, 2018); more cardiovascular disease (Valtorta, Kanaan, Gilbody, Ronzi, & Hanratty, 2016); and poorer cognitive functioning (Cacioppo & Cacioppo, 2014). A multitude of reasons can cause an older person to find themselves socially isolated or lonely. This website is designed to give you resources to help decrease social isolation in your community.
HEALTH AND WELLNESS STARTS WITH INNOVATIVE EVIDENCE BASED PUBLIC HEALTH POLICIES AND INTERVENTIONS THAT HELP COMMUNITIES THRIVE AND PREVENT ILLNESS. TRACKING OUTCOMES IN ORDER TO EVALUATE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE POLICIES AND INTERVENTIONS IS KEY!
Below you will find resources for individuals, policymakers, and medical professionals. If you have a resource to add to this page or are in need of additional resources click the Get in Touch button. Thank you in advance for your help in decreasing social isolation in the older adult.
OMAHA SYSTEM
Resources for healthcare professionals who want to better manage and track their interventions and outcomes. The Omaha System provides a standardized classification so all the pieces of health information can be utilized to better outcomes for individuals and communities.
TRANSPORTATION
Transportation services vary from community to community. These resources provide ideas and guidance for individuals, healthcare professionals, and policymakers on transportation efforts for the older adult.
Healthcare professionals & policymakers:
FITNESS & EXERCISE
Research on social isolation and loneliness in the older adult refer to the importance of daily exercise and fitness programs.
TECHNOLOGY
There is a lot of technology both new and old that can help with social isolation and loneliness in the older adult.
PHONE APPS AND SOCIAL MEDIA
There are numerous smart phone apps and social media groups designed to reduce the feelings of social isolation and loneliness.
Phone Apps (these will need to be search through the users App Store):
NOTALONE App
Smiling Mind
ThinkUp
Social Media:
OTHER RESOURCES
Other resources including articles, books, and websites that address social isolation and loneliness.
References
Cudjoe, T.K., Roth, D.L., Szanton, S.L., Wolff, J.L., Boyd, C.M., & Thorpe, R.J. (2017). The epidemiology of social isolation: national health and aging trends study. Journals of Gerontology: Social Sciences, 00(00), 1-7. doi:10.1093/geronb/gby037.
Holt-Lunstad, J., Smith, T.B., Baker, M., Harris, T. & Stephanson, D. (2015). Loneliness and social isolation as risk factors for mortality; a meta-analytic review. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 10(2), 227-237. Retrieved from https://doi-org.ezp1.lib.umn.edu/10.1177/1745691614568352
Martin, K.S. (2005). The Omaha System: A key to practice, documentation, and information management. St. Louis, MO: Elsevier Saunders.
Sakurai, R., Yasunaga, M., Nishi, M., Fukaya, T., Hasebe, M., Murayama, Y., … Fujiwara, Y. (2019). Co-existence of social isolation and homebound status increase the risk of all-cause mortality. International Psychogeriatrics, 31(5), 703-711. doi: https://doi.org/10.1017/S1041610218001047
Smith, S. G., Jackson, S. E., Kobayashi, L. C., & Steptoe, A. (2018). Social isolation, health literacy, and mortality risk: Findings from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing. Health Psychology, 37(2).
The Omaha System. (2019). Omaha System Overview. Retrieved from http://www.omahasystem.org/overview.html
Valtorta, N.K., Kanaan, M., Gilbody, S. Ronzi, S. & Hanratty, B. (2016). Loneliness and social isolation as risk factors for coronary heart disease and stroke: systematic review and meta-analysis of longitudinal observational studies. BMJ Open, 102, 1009-1016.
Contributors
Sarah Shuffelton MS, RN-BC