I was watching the news the other day. One subject discussed was that loneliness in adults in US still persists post Covid-19 pandemic. It was also mentioned that volunteering
is an activity that could relieve the feeling of loneliness. I did some
search on the prevalence of loneliness here in the US. Loneliness
specially affects the health and well being of seniors living alone.
Living alone
"Much of the problem stems from the growing number of seniors who live alone. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 12.5 million older adults live in one-person households, representing 28 percent of people aged 65 or older. The Administration on Aging (AoA) drills down even further into this statistic, noting that the number of women living alone far outnumbers men: while 72 percent of men over 65 are married and living with someone, only 45 percent of women are married and 37 percent are widowed. Almost half of women over 75 live alone.
People over 65 have an average life expectancy of almost 20 more years, AoH notes. “That’s a long time to live alone,” Meadows says. “Also, more and more older adults do not have children, and that means fewer family members are providing care and companionship as those adults age.”
“One observation I’ve had over the years is that even those who live with family are often alone much of the day. Their children and grandchildren are busy and involved in activities outside the home. There are many good things about aging in place at home, but I don’t think we anticipated the loneliness that can result.”
Learning to spot the triggers
“An important first step in alleviating senior loneliness is to spot the signs of social isolation,” Meadows says.
Along with having no local network of family and friends, seniors may
withdraw into isolation for other reasons. They may be despondent from
the recent loss of a spouse or friend. They may be alienated as a result
of a chronic health condition, depression, or failing memory.
Loss of hearing may propel feelings of isolation. A fear of falling or
of driving can keep seniors confined to their homes. For details visit
the following site:
https://stonegatesl.com/one-is-the-loneliest-number-combating-senior-isolation/
Here's a summary of what I learned.
"America was facing mental health challenges prior to the COVID-19 pandemic that were fueled, in part, by an epidemic of loneliness This link will open in a new tab. that continues today. Our published studies show that loneliness impacts many people of all ages and all demographic groups across the country, and is particularly problematic among workers .
According to new, confirmatory data from Morning Consult commissioned by Cigna, more than half of U.S. adults (58%) are considered lonely. This is fairly consistent with pre-pandemic research that showed 61% of adults experiencing loneliness in 2019, after a seven percentage point increase from 2018.
Loneliness and mental health concerns often go hand-in-hand. The new data shows that adults with mental health issues are more than twice as likely to experience loneliness as those with strong mental health. Given this association and widespread mental health concerns following the pandemic, the need to continue to raise awareness about loneliness remains. It impacts us every day, everywhere, and while society adjusts to the new normal of work, family, social interaction, health and safety, it’s essential that efforts to address loneliness and improve mental wellness continue. The report looks at the state of loneliness among U.S. adults in December 2021" For details of this report from Cigna visit the following site.https://newsroom.cigna.com/loneliness-epidemic-persists-post-pandemic-look
Meanwhile enjoy this photo from my album-framing and digital reproduction and enlargement by designmemories.com
Macrine and I in our Purple Outfit (2003)- Black Frame-18" x 24", Watercolor
Here's another Digital Creation from a photo by Epicpaint.com that I do not like. The copying of Macrine's eyes and mine are not natural.
No comments:
Post a Comment