Understanding Loneliness in Older Adults — and Tailoring a Solution

Four polls have gauged loneliness and social isolation in older adults in the past year, while insurers, healthcare systems, senior housing operators, and social service agencies are launching or expanding initiatives, reports Kaiser Health News . Anthem, for example, is planning a national launch to Medicare Advantage plans of a program addressing loneliness developed by CareMore Health. Meanwhile, UnitedHealthcare is making health navigators available to Medicare Advantage members vulnerable to social isolation, and Kaiser Permanente is beginning a pilot program to refer lonely or isolated seniors in its Northwest region to community services. "Assuaging loneliness is not just about having random human contact; it's about the quality of that contact and who you're having contact with," says Stanford University School of Medicine Professor Vyjeyanthi Periyakoil. She and others concur that strategies to analyze the different degrees, types, and root causes of loneliness must be varied. A study of interventions published in the Personality and Social Psychology Review found those that address "maladaptive social cognition" — distrust of others, negativity, and the expectation of rejection — are generally better than those that teach social skills or promote social interactions. Cognitive behavior therapy, which teaches people to recognize and question their assumptions, is frequently recommended.