Social Isolation And The Elderly Essay

Social Isolation & The Elderly

Within the United States, there is a widespread stigma against aging. People will do whatever they can to wane the effects of growing older, coloring grey hair, getting Botox to get rid of wrinkles, and spending too much money on anti-aging creams. Ideology like Cummin and Henry’s disengagement theory has only perpetuated the stigma against aging and aided in creating a culture that dreads aging. In the United States, independence is heavily valued, perpetuating the negative outlook many Americans shared in regard to growing old. Most Americans believe in a common misconception about aging, a worst-case scenario outlook. This involves losing their independence, getting moved into a nursing home, a significant

According to the United States Department of Health and Human Services, “About 28 percent of older adults in the United States, or 13.8 million people, live alone” (2019). Living alone does not always mean that these people struggle with social isolation, they may have family or other loved ones who keep them socially engaged. It is also important to note that there are some elderly people who do not live alone and struggle with social isolation. Social isolation has been defined as “the objective lack or limited extent of social contacts with others” (Donovan & Blazer, 2020). There is a common misconception that social isolation and loneliness are synonymous; however, according to Nancy Donovan M.D. and Dr. Dan Blazer M.D. “Loneliness is the perception of social isolation or the subjective feeling of being lonely” (2020). Both social isolation and loneliness can be major issues that the elderly face. Social isolation is an issue that many elders in the United States face today and this problem should be very easily avoidable. Social isolation is a worthy issue based purely on the number of people that have and will continue to be affected, and it also perpetuates many Americans' fears of growing older. Addressing this issue will not only improve the quality of life for many aging Americans, but it may alleviate the collective fear of growing old in the United

As a society, many people struggled with social isolation and loneliness during the mandatory quarantines, an experience that many elderly people know too well, “National Health and Aging Trends Study, prior to the COVID outbreak, investigators found that 24% of community–dwelling adults age 65 and older in the United States (approximately 7.7 million people) were socially isolated and 4% (1.3 million people) were severely socially isolated.” (Donovan & Blazer, 2020). The COVID-19 pandemic was dangerous for the geriatric population, especially for those who had pre-existing conditions. It was highly discouraged to have family members or loved ones physically visit the elderly, instead, they were encouraged to call them or video chat with them, which had its own