Posted 8-5-19
One of my hats–my biggest hat— at my career with SeniorAge (much of Southern Missouri’s Agency on Aging) is that of I.T. Director. I fix computers, I set up software. I manage the server. You know…geeky stuff. Among the many responsibilities of this technical position is managing cell phones, often a headache of a task. Today is Cell Phone day (!!!), not to be confused with Copier Day(s), Virus Day, the ever-popular Why Isn’t My Mouse Working Day and WHYYYYY Is the Internet Sooooo Slow Today (?) Day. Today I am working through my inventory of cell phones to see what works and to be sure we have all of them accounted for. (We are very serious about being good stewards of our donations….very).
One thing that differentiates cell phones from other items in consumer electronics is that they have wonderfully long battery life. Waaaaaaay longer than that old Dustbuster you have behind your couch. It is not uncommon for them to have a day or more of actual “talk time” between charges and ten or more days of “Stand By” time when they operate on lower power such that the just sit there, minding their own business, waiting to be needed before ultimately dying. In a way, it seems like many of our society’s very best, most special folks are also in a “stand by” mode, just waiting around to die. This should NOT BE SO. We need you!
Enter seniors stage left (and even more so seniors with dementia). Did you know, according to the National Institute on Aging, being socially isolated has been proven to cause: high blood pressure, heart disease, obesity, a weakened immune system, anxiety, depression, cognitive decline, Alzheimer’s disease, and even death. Here are some more bad outcomes from social isolation: Link. Time Magazine added in a 2019 publication “In the study sponsored by the AARP, researchers from the University of Michigan surveyed a group of about 2,000 Americans ages 50 to 80. More than a third of seniors in the poll said they felt a lack of companionship at least some of the time, and 27% said they sometimes or often felt isolated; most of the people who said they lacked companionship also felt isolated, and vice versa. Almost 30% said they socialized with friends, family or neighbors once a week or less.”
Can we get to the bottom line of this quickly? (Words you probably say every time you read something from my little Cornbread table). OK..I will try. No promises…
Social isolation is terrible for everyone, but especially for seniors and those with Alzheimer’s. It is a proven contributor for dementia and for death in a host of other ways. It is also terrible for the caregivers who serve those with dementia. We are social creatures, made so by our Creator and shown to be so all the way left in the Book to the first couple pages. We need (not merely want) meaningful interaction with peers, with friends, with loved ones, with the mail carrier…we need it for our health.
I am not sure whether social media is really helping or hurting this epidemic of aloneness. In many ways I feel like it probably isolates people even more when they silently browse by social media and see how much their neighbor is doing, then compare it to themselves sitting in the chair all day. Note: I don’t use this term “epidemic” loosely, like many do. If 27% of seniors say they feel the sting of isolation and they are developing dementia (or speeding it along) and having a host of illnesses made worse, it is a big deal!
Here are some positive things that you can do today (for yourself or your loved one) to help fight off this loneliness foe:
- Visit loved ones who tend to be alone. I know, I know. This is neither brain science nor rocket surgery. Call on your loved ones. Stop by and say hi. Note: when I say alone, I do not mean only an absence of people or activities, I mean alone. My mom would be alone in her nursing home if we failed to visit daily. Sure there are people squawking around all over the place, but they are NOT interacting with her on a personal level. They, frankly, might as well come with a remote control and an off button on their front.
- Schedule time outside for you and for your loved ones. There are vitamins provided by God through the sun. Fresh air soothes the soul. You know it. I know it. There is something refreshing about being outside. Find time outside for you and for your loved one.
- Serve in church. There is a you-shaped hole somewhere in your church home that only you and your gifts can fill. Most areas in church service don’t require as much physically as they do your experience/your Christian wisdom. Young kids need you. The crave your wisdom even if they just show it poorly more often than not.
- Get involved in you local senior center and/or civic organization. They need you as much as you need them. This aloneness plague is beyond their current staffing’s ability to fix. You can be part of the solution.
- If you cannot get out and about, call your local senior center or the Alzheimer’s Association field office near you to see if there are any transportation programs available.
- Avoid self-medicating by overeating and/or drinking alcohol instead of fellowshipping with others. Drinking alone doesn’t do anything for you in this area other than making you drunk and alone instead of just alone.
- If you are a caregiver, contact one of these organizations to see if respite funds are available. Respite doesn’t always have to be such that you leave and shop and the like. Visit and share concerns with your respite worker too.
- Speaking of sharing concerns, seek out dementia support groups with the two previously mentioned organizations.
- Be aware of scammers who call to exploit your isolation. Sadly, many are bored and talk to these shysters and end up alone and broke. When in doubt, even a little, hang up.
- Don’t ignore social isolation. Just don’t. Like someone exposed to carbon monoxide, you may be struggling in this area and not realize that it is hurting you.
- Tech note: Interestingly enough, when you “do something” with your phone while it is on the charger, the “stand by” timer kind of resets not unlike the no activity timer on your computer resets when you wiggle your mouse or click some buttons to avoid your screensaver turning on. I firmly believe doing something with others every day, even if it is small, helps.
- Take initiative. Don’t just “Stand By” and wait. There is a world of possibilities out there. You are a special gift from God and the world needs you. I need you.
Update: Mom had a good weekend. I look forward to seeing her tonight. She has a roomie that loves to talk. I am hoping this interaction, even if it is somewhat one-sided, will keep mom from mentally powering off like a Samsung. She used to be such a social butterfly. It is hard to see her not be one.
#EndALZ