The importance of a social network

The older I get the more I treasure time on my own. I think I could live as a hermit. Realistically though, I am a gregarious person. If I have two or more days at home it feels like a gift and I think I could live like this forever. But there is a big ‘but’ here. While social isolation is not always a bad thing, living alone and isolated for long periods is not good for your mental or physical health.

I have found that once I have had my days at home to rejuvenate, I then have this sense of ‘cabin fever’. That’s when I take action. During COVID I walked daily. This enabled me to connect with nature, and people as they walked by and gave a friendly wave. It all helped.

All the research shows we are social beings and need this for our mental health. At my age, the social aspect of mixing with other humans is vital and is known to stave off dementia.

Interesting times. Although there is an increase in connectivity online, many individuals are finding they are feeling increasingly isolated and disconnected than ever.

“In May 2023, U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy called loneliness a national epidemic. In early 2024, the American Psychiatric Association’s Healthy Minds Monthly Poll revealed that 30 per cent of American adults felt lonely at least weekly over the past year, while 10 per cent reported feeling lonely every day. Younger adults were particularly vulnerable, with 30 per cent of those aged 18-34 saying they feel lonely daily or several times a week. These findings underscore the importance of prioritizing public health initiatives and interventions to combat loneliness on a national scale.”

While dementia patients can become anxious with socialization, under a safe and supportive environment social connection is a basic human need as it is for all of us. Like any other muscle in our body, our brain needs to be exercised and active to maintain memory and manage emotions. Socialisation helps this. In many cases, it has been shown to slow the progress of cognitive impairment. It makes people feel included and creates a feeling of connection to others.

There is a fine line between social isolation for people who live alone, who are older, introverted, immigrants, marginalised groups, and dementia sufferers.

Signs of social isolation

• Avoiding social interactions, including those that were once enjoyable.
• Cancelling plans frequently and feeling relief when plans are cancelled.
• Experiencing anxiety or panic when thinking about social interactions.
• Feeling distress during periods of solitude.
• Feeling dread about social activities.
• Spending large amounts of time alone or having extremely limited contact with others.

Only last week I was doing a photo shoot at a retirement village and mingled with the residents. They were active mentally and physically given their medical issues. The one thing they loved about their village was the option to socialize by walking out their front door.

Before their move, many were spending too much time alone to dwell on the negatives and worry about things out of their control. Now they have people nearby who care and check up on them and lots of activities available. They were all socially active and felt a sense of belonging.

Not all of us live in retirement villages where social options are readily available. For this reason, it helps to be aware of how easily one can be socially isolated, particularly if they live on their own as I do.

Tips to assist with social planning

Even with my social life, I plan my days to ensure I have time alone as well as time to interact with my friends. Not everyone is in my situation.

To assist those who need help it pays to talk to them, ask questions to understand how they feel and discuss how you may help them.

For family and friends needing to assist others or even for yourself, investigate support service options and there is ample information online to assist:

• Identify who amongst family and friends could assist the person in need and it is someone they can trust.
• Decide how to work out a plan and if possible, discuss this with them, Otherwise try some simple ideas then lock in dates and times.
• Work out a plan that includes cognitive stimulation with others as well as provide emotional support.
• Find a suitable location that avoids stress such as going for a walk if possible, or driving to a lovely location.
• Provide rules and structure, particularly if they have signs of dementia.
• After the first social activity check to see how it went.
• Consider other activities where people meet for exercise, or crafting groups including transport options.

References:
https://publichealth.tulane.edu/blog/effects-of-social-isolation-on-mental-health/
https://seniorsathome.jfcs.org/why-socialization-is-essential-for-people-living-with-dementia/
https://elderwelladultday.com/the-vital-role-of-social-interaction-in-dementia-care-elder-well-adult-day-program/