Social Isolation and Loneliness Project: Your Insights Needed!

Your Insights Needed!  (Before March 1st)

The Social Isolation and Loneliness Project is seeking input from health and social service providers who work with older adults in Canada. The focus of this survey is to learn more about the attitudes, experiences, knowledge and ideas of people working directly with older adults, regarding the topic of social isolation and loneliness. The results of this survey will provide important information that can be used to support the development and promotion of national practice guidelines to combat social isolation and loneliness in older adults. Please complete the survey by February 28. You can access the survey in English or in French.

Responding to Social Isolation and Loneliness in Older Adults

Recognition of social isolation and loneliness (SI & L) as a serious medical and social issue continues to grow. A recent article in the New England Journal of Medicine outlines the mounting evidence of the physical and psychological impact of SI & L especially among older adults. The article describes the EAR Framework which calls for clinicians to integrate education (E) into care, assess (A) for SI & L periodically, and to respond (R) by reinforcing the need for social connection and by integrating psychosocial support from all members of the care team. Click here for a short article and an interview with one of the authors, Dr. Julianne Holt-Lunstad.