# For seniors, it’s a double pandemic — COVID-19 and crushing isolation

But the other killer is perhaps even more lethal and has proven to be quite long-lasting, and that is the toll that social isolation continues to take on seniors.

Social isolation has been linked, in study after study, with all sorts of major health problems, including heart disease, obesity, depression, and faster cognitive decline. Some research has even likened the health effects of isolation with smoking up to 15 cigarettes a day.

Nearly one-third of seniors — nearly 14 million people — live by themselves, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Certainly many of these folks aren’t “isolated” in the sense that they can connect with family and friends on Zoom, Skype, FaceTime or the old-fashioned phone. But many unquestionably are isolated. Meantime, Margaret Manning, founder of SixtyandMe.com, an online support group that claims to represent 500,000 women over the age of 60, found in a survey that “75% of (respondents) said that they felt lonely. The majority said that they found themselves without someone to talk to at least sometimes.” And, Manning added in a blog post, 81% said that they sometimes or often have no one to talk to.

Ominously, the survey was completed before the pandemic, which implies that feelings of loneliness and isolation are deeper than ever—with the resulting health problems. It was one year ago, after all, that the CDC urged seniors to stay home and interact with as few people as possible. It’s hard to gauge the health impact of missing out on simple joys—hugging a grandchild, blowing out candles on a birthday cake or meeting a friend for coffee—but my guess is that it’s not insignificant.

Isolation also appears to have been an accelerant for Alzheimer’s and dementia deaths, which are up 16% over the past year, according to the Alzheimer’s Association. It adds: “One in three seniors dies with Alzheimer’s or another dementia. It kills more than breast cancer and prostate cancer combined.”

The pandemic will end at some point—some two million vaccines are now being administered daily—but health experts warn against complacency and say seniors should continue to be cautious. This means the isolation that has been so crushing for so many will continue.

But there are things that can be done to ease loneliness. Sue Johansen, senior vice president, at A Place for Mom, a senior living advisory service, offers some creative ideas.

People can “play games together, like online chess or scrabble,” she offers. Parade magazine just ran this great list of 35 games to choose from.

Sharing memories through photos. Seniors can ask family members to send pictures via email or snail mail.

Exploring keepsakes and heirloom treasures. “Social isolation has given seniors plenty of time to clean out closets and attics of keepsakes,” Johansen points out. “Get the family together to look through photo albums and old treasures on Zoom, and see what stories and memories they inspire.”

And here’s an idea I never would have thought of. Why not a virtual “movie night?” Johansen asks. Here’s how to do it — the biggest problem here may be agreeing on something that everyone wants to watch.

Meantime, what about exercise? AARP’s “Senior Planet” offers all sorts of live classes; as I write today there’s a “Morning Stretch” class going on and later “Tai Chi.” My 84-year old mom has used the pandemic to take up Tai Chi—a low-impact, slow-moving series of gentle exercises and stretching—and swears by it. The Mayo Clinic calls it “meditation in motion,” which sounds like a good way to stay fit and ease stress. You can try it out from the comfort of your living room.

If you’re a senior, a relative or a caregiver, what advice do you have for coping with this double pandemic? Let me know and I may share it with others: [email protected].