Senior Isolation

Paper Summary:

The paper examines how senior citizens typically live alone and often find themselves isolated from family and the community. The paper explores how isolation may be caused by the death of a spouse or by the death of close friends and family members. The paper further examines how senior citizens may feel isolated due to employment retirement or chronic illness that may keep them from involvement in social activities. The paper analyzes how isolation may lead to a variety of negative effects. The paper concludes that social services can help by providing isolated seniors with meals on wheels programs, shopping buses, transportation to faith-based multi-service centers, fitness and health centers, as well as education programs.

From the Paper:

"This isolation leads many seniors to develop alcohol and drug problems late in life, at a time when they are most vulnerable to medical conditions (Doup). The elderly make up some 11 percent of the U.S. population, yet they take more than 35 percent of the drugs prescribed, such as blood pressure medication, sleep medication, and tranquilizers, all of which created a toxic cocktail when mixed with alcohol, causing everything from dizziness to death (Doup). One of the most significant physiologic consequences of alcohol use in seniors is the effect on the cardiovascular system, because anginal pain may be deadened and/or ignored, leading to myocardial infarction (Bosworth)."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Bosworth, Michael F. "Alcohol abuse in the elderly." American Family Physician. April 1, 1989. Retrieved October 07 2006 from HighBeam Research Library.
• Dooley, Pat. "For Best Nutrition, Elderly Should Socialize, Too." The Virginian Pilot. July 5, 1996. Retrieved October 07 2006 from HighBeam Research Library.
• Doup, Liz. "For many seniors, isolation and drinking, like scotch and water, go together." Knight Ridder/Tribune News Service. March 1, 1994. Retrieved October 07 2006 from HighBeam Research Library.
• Elderly Benefits from Pets. Retrieved October 07 2006 from: http://www.petloveshack.com/Elderly.html
• Ham, Becky. "Social Isolation Leaves Elderly at Risk for Heart Trouble." Health Behavior News Service. December 10, 2002. Retrieved October 07 2006 from Centers for the Advancement of Health:http://www.hbns.org/news/lonely12-10-02.cfm

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