This is Loneliness Awareness Week.
Recent statistics reveals 50% of Canadian seniors frequently feel the pain of being alone.
The 2023 Canadian Social Survey also found more than 30% of seniors asked say they don't have people they can rely on when they have problems and more than 300,000 admit feeling consistently lonely over the past 10 years.
Making a connection with someone can be as simple as a few seconds of pleasant interaction:
- Say hello or spark a conversation;
- Coffee, tea or a meal together;
- A walk together in nature;
- Enjoy time with a hobby or interest.
Medical research has shown that the increased risk of death from loneliness and social isolation is similar to that of smoking 15 cigarettes a day or having an alcohol use disorder.
Notably, loneliness and social isolation among older adults has been linked to an increase in the risk of a range of serious issues, including: dementia, premature death, stroke, coronary heart disease and cancer deaths.
Loneliness Awareness Week was created in 2017 by the Marmalade Trust in the United Kingdom and GenWell its Canadian partner.