Campaign confronts elderly isolation, which carries health risks

A dramatic increase in the number of elderly Americans living alone — combined with research showing the consequences of social isolation — has resulted in a new campaign to reduce social isolation among seniors.

Prolonged isolation can be as big a health risk as smoking 15 cigarettes per day, according to the National Association of Area Agencies on Aging, which is encouraging adult children during the holidays to talk with their parents about remaining socially engaged.

"Social connections are critically important to one's ability to engage in health care and to be well," said Dawn Simonson of the Metropolitan Area Agency on Aging, the Twin Cities arm of the national association.

Minnesota agencies are spreading word of the "Expand Your Circles" campaign, which includes a website, connect2affect.org, where seniors can assess their isolation risks. Minnesota already operates the Senior LinkAge hot line and other resources to help seniors stay connected — referring them to home visit programs, senior centers, fitness classes and technology classes so they can use social media to stay in touch with friends and family.

Solving transportation barriers also is key, Simonson said. "Older adults can expect to spend seven to 10 years not being able to drive … That can be very limiting in terms of your social interaction."

U.S. Census data shows the growing scope of the problem. The number of households with Americans 65 and older living alone increased from 25 million in 2011 to 31 million now.

Brigham Young University researchers were among the first, in 2010, to compare the risk of isolation with regular smoking. Reviewing 148 studies that followed people, on average, for seven and a half years, the researchers found survival odds to be 50 percent greater among people who had strong social connections. That put isolation on par with smoking, alcoholism and obesity as a risk for premature death.

Social connections, on the other hand, tend to improve an individual's health, said Julianne Holt-Lunstad, a BYU researcher. "When someone is connected to a group and feels responsibility for other people, that sense of purpose and meaning translates to taking better care of themselves and taking fewer risks."

Jeremy Olson • 612-673-7744