Social isolation is a problem. We can help.
Even within senior living communities, over 25% of residents are reported as suffering from loneliness. televëda's solutions designed to combat isolation can help you increase your resident's happiness significantly.
What is Social Isolation?
A state of complete or near-complete lack of contact between an individual and society. This can be an issue for individuals of any age, but currently, it is of particular danger to the elderly population. In essence, it is loneliness felt through absence of social contact and can be triggered by a number of factors. Loss of mobility, unemployment, long-illness, and economic struggles increase the risk of social isolation, and can even lead to mental illness.
Solution
As we age, a healthy, physical lifestyle is no longer just the requirement. Yoga, massage, and other alternative medicines have been known to improve the mental state. But what else do we need? It takes three kinds of activity to shape the quality of our lives. Mental, social, and physical activity form the intricate synapses of health.
82%
of those 65+ know at least one person who is lonely
yet...
58%
would be reluctant to admit it if they themselves felt isolated
Loneliness is Degenerative
Lonely people are more likely to strain national productivity and health-care systems from their lack of activity and conduct. Their bodies are distinctly different from the bodies of healthy people. Prolonged loneliness "can put one at risk for chronic health conditions, exacerbate various health conditions, and ultimately put us at increased risk for premature mortality."
Diseases and ailments due to loneliness include the following that lead to poor sleep, poorer cognitive performance, executive control and self-regulation, substance abuse, and suicidal ideation.
- High blood pressure and cardiovascular disease
- Elevated levels of cortisol
- Hypertension
- Reduced immunity and susceptibility to illness
- Chronic inflammation
- Alzheimer's
- Rheumatoid arthritis
- Periodontitis
Social isolation has been associated with death as much as smoking
15 cigarettes a day.
Isolation is Expensive
Sedentary lifestyle, social isolation, and cognitive decline are three elements that exacerbate each other and contribute to the $75 billion deficit in preventable healthcare spending. Ageism and outdated social norms lead the elderly population to feelings of isolation and loss of purpose.
Solution
televëda's wellness programs paired with our 1-click accessible two-way interactive streaming provides seniors with tools that touch on all three necessary activities.
Loneliness is a bodily function like hunger. Your body cares about your social needs since your likelihood for survival depended on it. It is a part of our biology. You can feel social pain to stop behavior that would isolate you.
Additional Reading
What Loneliness Does to the Human Body
Loneliness, it turns out, is bad for both your figurative heart and your literal one. As Holt-Lunstad points out, feeling lonely can make our environments feel just plain unsafe or unfriendly, which — as most of us have gleaned just by being alive and sometimes feeling acutely, anxiously alone — can make our heart rates faster and our blood pressures go up.
Dr. Rhonda Patrick on DHA in Phospholipid form and the Prevention of Alzheimers
Alzheimer's Disease is a neurodegenerative disorder. Key Characteristics: memory loss, spatial disorientation, cognitive dysfunction, and behavioral changes. Risk for AD doubles every 5 years, following the age of 65.
Muscle Memory discovery ends 'use it or lose it' dogma
Exercise physiologists agree: muscle memory is real. But how are these 'memories' stored? A review has a simple answer: nuclei gained during training persist even when muscle cells shrink due to disuse or start to break down. This means we can 'bank' nuclei in our youth to prevent frailty in old age.
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See how televeda's Livestreaming services can benefit your community.