Lonely and struggling
Lonely people aged 60 years and over are more likely to have trouble completing daily tasks and face a 22.8% increased risk of death, a new study has found. Lonely people had 41.5% increased difficulty in tasks such as bathing, and dressing, toileting and eating.
Lonely people aged 60 years and over are more likely to have trouble completing daily tasks and face a 22.8% increased risk of death, a new study has found.
Lonely people had 41.5% increased difficulty in tasks such as bathing, and dressing, toileting and eating, compared with 28.3% for those who did not feel lonely.
The study, by US researchers, also found tasks involving the use of arms and shoulders were more difficult after monitoring more than 1,600 participants aged 60 years and over for six years.
The researchers say the study is the largest-scale study to report the link, which was also found among those who did not live alone.
They also claimed reducing the risk of loneliness required “much more than medical care”.
“Because loneliness is a subjective feeling of social distress that encompasses lacking companionship and a sense of not belonging, it is not adequately captured by quantitative measures of social isolation.
“Our results suggest questioning older persons about loneliness may be a useful way of identifying elderly persons at risk of disability and poor health.”
Council of the Ageing chief executive, Ian Yates, told AAP loneliness was a “common source of suffering” in older persons, many of whom feel “invisible”.
He said the results showed the importance of human contact for the elderly, and developing aged-friendly communities.
“Human contact is essential to a person’s health and wellbeing. If you are isolated, this affects your self-esteem and self-motivation, and that can actually multiply the effects of other frailties you might have,” Mr Yates explained.
He suggested including older family members in activities was important and said doctors could also suggest and prescribe social support or group activities to prevent early decline.
“We need to see it as a primary or preventative health care issue and we don’t invest enough in those things.”
