One single factor can increase a person’s risk of high blood pressure, depression, dementia, heart disease, stroke, and even cancer. And it’s not smoking.
Loneliness is known to negatively affect physical and mental health, and while people of all ages experience loneliness, it’s especially prevalent among older adults.
June 9-15 is Global Loneliness Awareness Week – a time to look at what causes loneliness, how it affects us, and what we can do to prevent it in ourselves and others.
What we’re doing to help
Along with nutrition, providing social connection and relief from isolation is key to everything we do at Ypsilanti Meals on Wheels. It’s even part of our mission statement.
Ypsilanti Meals on Wheels provides nutritious meals, social contact and other services to the homebound elderly, ill and disabled in eastern Washtenaw County, to enable them to enjoy healthier, safer, and more independent lives.
YMOW fights loneliness in several ways:
- Every meal delivery includes a friendly smile and a chat.
- Our Fur-ever Friends program allows seniors to enjoy the companionship of a pet without the financial burden.
- YMOW’s Safe at Home program can make it easier to enter and exit the home, improving a senior’s ability to attend medical appointments, visit with friends and family, or even to just sit on their porch and wave to a passerby. In-home visits from our Safe at Home team also provide relief from isolation and an important link to community resources.
- Finding ways to increase the time spent with every client is a key part of our long-term goals and strategic plan.
It’s working
Results of YMOW’s latest client survey show that our daily interactions, although often brief, have a big impact. 78% of YMOW clients surveyed said visits from YMOW help them feel less isolated.
“I would be lost without this opportunity. Each weekday morning it is very reassuring to know that a friendly face will be dropping by,” – YMOW client, 2024
How can you help yourself and others?
- Get out of the house. Even sharing a smile with a stranger can boost your mood and make you feel more connected.
- Pick up the phone and call someone. You’ll brighten their day, and yours.
- Know a lonely senior? Drop them a letter or give them a call. Better yet, schedule a visit. Even a brief encounter can make a big difference.
Loneliness is an epidemic that we all have the power to treat. Even a small connection can go a long way toward making you and others feel less alone.
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