Social Isolation Basics & Materials
Nutrition programs are tasked not only with providing access to nutritious food, but with strengthening connections and reducing social isolation for the older adults they serve. Older adults are at increased risk for loneliness and social isolation because of factors like living alone, loss of family or friends, or chronic illness. Discover methods to increase social connection and decrease isolation amongst older adults.
Briefs
- Addressing Social Isolation, Loneliness, and Elevated Suicidality Among Older Adults — Brief on a partially nested randomized control trial of the BE WITH Innovation
- ONEgeneration Takes Intergenerational Approach to Meet Community Needs— Senior center spotlight (National Council on Aging, 2022)
Quick Guides
- The Benefits of Eating With Others — Graphic on the positive impact of congregate meals (Nutrition and Aging Resource Center)
- Project HELLO — Multiphase effort to engage older adults in Rhode Island by utilizing volunteers (Nutrition and Aging Resource Center)
- Options for Remote Connection — Strategies to promote socialization of older adults (Nutrition and Aging Resource Center)
- Health Effects of Social Isolation and Loneliness— Information on health risks and links to community resources (CDC, 2024)
- Social Isolation Resource Guide — List of resources to combat social isolation and loneliness (Area Agency on Aging of Dane County)
Fact Sheets
- Social Wellness Tip Sheet — Tips for assessing whether participants are building and engaging in trusting, respectful, and authentic relationships (Nutrition and Aging Resource Center)
- Meaningful Connection and Better Health through Congregate Meals — How the Senior Nutrition Program combats loneliness and social isolation (Administration for Community Living)
- Managing Loneliness— Infographic on risk factors for loneliness and strategies to combat loneliness (National Institute for Health Care Management Foundation, 2020)
Tools & Toolkits
- Social Engagement Resources— List of external resources for organizations serving older adults (engAGED: The National Resource Center for Engaging Older Adults)
- Senior Nutrition Program Two-Minute Promotional Video (YouTube)— Two-minute video focused on connection and social aspects of senior nutrition programs (Administration for Community Living, 2023)
- Social Wellness Checklists — NIH resources with ideas for creating positive social habits
- Commit to Connect — Initiative to combat social isolation and loneliness (Administration for Community Living)
- Connect to Affect Social Isolation Assessment— Tool to measure your risk of social isolation (AARP Foundation)
- Social Isolation and Loneliness Outreach Toolkit— Materials to share with older adults, caregivers, and health care providers (National Institute on Aging)
- Partnership to help older adults and their pets
- Meals on Wheels America and PetSmart Charities partnership— Partnership to help older adults and their pets live healthy, nourished lives, together
- Pets for the Elderly— Charity that helps older adults adopt companion pets from shelters
- E4 Center of Excellence for Behavioral Health Disparities in Aging— Center with materials to support behavioral health in older adults and families
- Mental Health Resources— Articles and other resources (National Council on Aging)
Presentations
- Beyond the Delivery of the Meal (YouTube)— 15-minute video spotlight on Liberty Meals on Wheels
- Engaging Home-Delivered Meal Participants (YouTube)— Five-minute spotlight on Meals on Wheels of Ocean County, whose participants contribute to and learn from each other via Connections newsletter
- Equipping the Aging Network to Address SILES— 20-minute video with strategies for addressing social isolation, loneliness, and elevated suicide risk (SILES) among older adults using "BE WITH"
- Addressing Nutrition & Social Connections Needs of Rural Older Adults (YouTube)— One-hour webinar on nutrition & connection activities at three older adult nutrition programs during the pandemic, with accompanying presentation Addressing Nutrition & Social Connections Needs Slides
- Food for Thought Dialogue (YouTube)— 70-minute IAFNS webinar on the effects of food and nutrients on mental well-being
- Nutrition and Socialization — The value of socialization at congregate meal sites, with accompanying presentation Nutrition and Socialization Takeaway Sheet and Nutrition and Socialization Tip Sheet
- Socialization (YouTube)— One-hour video on the challenges faced by the network in combatting social isolation, with accompanying presentation Socialization Slides, Socialization Takeaway Sheet and Socialization Tip Sheet
- Saving Lives Literally (YouTube)— 15-minute video on research being done at Georgia State University to enhance social connectedness and decrease risk of suicide in older adults
Reports
- The Pandemic Effect: A Social Isolation Report— AARP Foundation exploring the impact of the pandemic on adults of all ages and the effects of social isolation
- Social Isolation and Loneliness in Older Adults: Opportunities for the Health Care System— Report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine