Many studies have found that a person’s social environment can impact his or her health. In fact, numerous studies have found that lonely people suffer a higher rate of mortality than people who are not socially isolated.
Researchers from UCLA took things a step further in a 2007 study in which they examined the biological impact that social isolation can have on the human body. The study was published in a 2007 issue of Genome Biology and found a distinct pattern in immune cells of people that are perpetually lonely.
Steve Cole, one of the researchers in the study, says that “What this study shows is that the biological impact of social isolation reaches down into some of our most basic internal processes the activity of our genes.” The differences in immune cell patterns between those seniors that were socially engaged and those that were not was found to be independent of other risk factors such as health status, age, weight, etc…
What does this mean for seniors and their families? First and foremost it points to the benefits of proactively planning ways to keep homebound seniors engaged with friends, family and people that they genuinely enjoy spending time with. While homecare and caregivers are a great start, seniors can often feel socially isolated even with people around them. Elders need more than homecare, what they need are people that can engage them in meaningful conversation and activities. Engage As You Age works with families to ensure that their parents or partners are engaged and having fun in-between visits from family and friends.
Click here for more studies on socialization and click here for some ideas on activities for seniors that are homebound.
