New Program Helps Senior Citizens Cope With Loneliness During Coronavirus Pandemic

ABC 12 reports that MidMichigan Health has launched a program in the hope of alleviating seniors' loneliness during the pandemic. The five-week Bridge to Belonging virtual program will focus on subjects that many in isolation are struggling with. Seniors participating in the program will have opportunities to talk with others in the same situation, and offer strategies that could help decrease the feeling of loneliness. "It's our perspective that's often helpful and there's a number of things we can do to change that," said MidMichigan Health's Meghan Dahl. "So, for example, how we think about our situation. The thought part is very important. So we learn tools to shift our thinking." Dahl explained that seniors "really enjoy talking to one another about their own experiences and sharing tips. Just getting validation that it is hard, but it's not impossible. So finding that group that connection in the session has been really meaningful for people."