noted that loneliness, which results from social isolation, is far more than a feeling, hurting both individual and societal health. 15 Not only does social isolation and loneliness impact our societal connectedness, it is costly. According to the U.S. Surgeon General, social isolation accounts for an estimated $6.7 billion in excess Medicare spending every year. 16 These Medicare claims come through increased stays in the hospital or extra time spent with social workers post discharge. Involvement in social networks is reducing over time. We can see this right here in Pima County, with many of our neighborhood associations struggling to recruit younger members to be involved. Social connection is a fundamental human need and we must continue to nurture meaningful relationships across generations. On the positive side, 55.8% of survey respondents indicated that they are already engaged in volunteer activities or are Time Spent Outside
interested in participating. As people age, they also tend to become more involved in their community. Pima County’s older adults are most likely to be involved in volunteering, lifelong learning, and group exercise activities. For those who want to be involved, many activities currently exist to engage with the community. Using Older Americans Act funding, we provide Aging Mastery Programming, A Matter of Balance, and EnhanceFitness classes.
13%
Every day A few times a week About once a week Less than once a week Never
36%
17%
10%
24%
The pandemic allowed us to think about delivering these evidence-based programs through new avenues. Our programs are now available both in person at our Katie Dusenberry Healthy Aging Center and online through our Virtual Healthy Aging Center. Over the past several years, we launched other programs to decrease isolation. Our volunteer services activities include our Neighbors Care Alliance, which is a network of neighborhood volunteer programs that help older adults receive meals, get assistance with yard and house chores, and attend doctors appointments. In our Dementia Capable Southern Arizona program, people with Alzheimer’s disease and other related dementias and their caregivers gather to socialize in a space they can feel understood and validated. So much of what we do relies on ensuring that we have culturally responsive and appropriate communication that is easy to understand and accessible. That’s why, in 2020, we engaged with a consultant to objectively study how our organization was effectively serving varied communities. Though we still have work to do, we have made tremendous strides since 2017, including upgrading our website so content can be translated into multiple languages, accessible for the visually impaired, and ensuring all front-facing programmatic departments have bilingual/bicultural staff. Over the coming years, we plan to continue this effort to increase accessibility as an organization and as service providers–which will decrease social isolation in hard to reach communities.
15 (Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation, 2023) 16 (Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation, 2023)
A Report to the Community
Pima Council on Aging
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