Ageing and loneliness

Did you know that loneliness causes 15% of all premature deaths in the elderly, higher than obesity, lack of exercise, or smoking 15 cigarettes per day? There are two sorts of loneliness: social loneliness (wanting more social engagement than they currently have) and emotional loneliness (missing one special person, generally a spouse, child, or closest friend). For some, loneliness is persistent, while for others, it occurs frequently on weekends or during vacation periods. It is alarming to learn that over one million people can go a month without speaking to anyone, and that more than half of the "over 75's" indicate that television is their primary source of company.

Another possible cause of loneliness in the elderly is the generation divide. The elders' youngest relatives thought them boring or insane. They don't bother with them. This attitude conveys the impression to the elderly that they are no longer useful. Actually, aged folks are a treasure trove of experience for us. We should listen to them and learn from them. Depression and loneliness are also caused by an aged patient's lack of social circle. Instead of sending our grandparents to nursing facilities, I believe we should spend time with them, share our daily routines, give them gifts, and make them feel that they are still an important part of the family. Not all of these reasons are genuine, but some are unpleasant facts that have been noticed in everyday life and undoubtedly contribute to loneliness among the elderly.

Elderly folks who never married in their youth and are likely to wind up without their own families suffer greatly from loneliness. They could still enjoy the company of their nephews and nieces as they grew older. But, as the nephews and nieces start their own families and get older, they have little time or consideration for these old unmarried uncles and aunts and eventually abandon them to their self-inflicted fate. Widows and widowers, both biologically past the age of accepting new wives, are pitiful species. Even if such widows and widowers can afford to travel out and visit relatives and tourist spots, they live a life of boredom and loneliness. Their loneliness exists in the intellect, the brain, and the heart. It is emotional loneliness that will most likely accompany them to their grave.

Loneliness can be caused by a variety of variables, including social, mental, emotional, and even physical problems. Loneliness in old age is thus a more severe kind of loneliness, and it has been known to lead some elderly individuals to suicide. While social and religious activities may decrease the impact of loneliness in general, they may not be sufficient for the elderly who find themselves isolated from the companies they had usually kept. When they go to bed in their houses, the brutal truth of loneliness stares them down and threatens to choke them to death.