Staying connected critical for health

For those who are 65 and over, the simple fact is there are more of us and we are living longer. For an elder who is lonely or depressed that may not be considered good news.

According to statistics, 85 and over is the fastest growing age group in the country, with those over 100 the second fastest growing group. When the last baby boomers turn 65 in 2029, the total population of Americans over 65 will swell from 41 million to 70 million. Between July 2010 and July 2014, most Oregon counties saw their 65-and-older population grow by more than 10 percent and no county saw a decrease. Deschutes County saw the biggest increase, with 31 percent.

Loss of family and friends, being socially isolated, and experiencing loneliness can all make living a challenge that eventually may seem overwhelming. For elders who find themselves without a support system, a close friend or a confidante, there is the Friendship Line, a free service from the Center for Elderly Suicide Prevention and Grief Related Services (CESP).

The Friendship Line, 800-971-0016, has been in operation since 1973, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Staff and volunteers are trained to listen and talk with people who are suffering to allow them to get negative emotions out. The service is for adults 60+, caregivers, and adults of any age with disabilities.

In 1987, another service was started offering group and individual counseling for adults of any age experiencing traumatic loss grief. They also offer education on aging-related topics locally and nationally. One such workshop was recently held in Bend.

The Friendship Line provides both call-in and call-out services. The call-in service provides confidential telephone discussions for people 60 and older and their caregivers (or younger disabled) who may be lonely, isolated, bereaved, depressed, anxious and/or thinking about death or suicide. A caller doesn't need to be in a suicidal crisis to use the call-in service.

With the call-out service, Friendship Line staff and trained volunteers make phone calls to older adults for emotional support. A specific day or time can be set up and the same person will call each time. Referrals can be arranged by going to the website - instituteonaging.formstack.com/forms/friendship

line_intake_form or contact Mia Grigg at [email protected], 415-750-4138 for assistance. In order to refer someone, his or her permission must be secured first.

The total monthly call volume of both incoming and outgoing calls currently total approximately 13,000, handled by staff and 115 volunteers working four-hour shifts.

Social isolation is a response to conditions that inhibit a person's ability or opportunity to interact with others, or is the result of the desire to not interact. That isolation increases one's vulnerability to disease, suicide, and death. Studies show that social isolation is as detrimental as smoking 15 cigarettes a day.

Social isolation has many causes and numerous defining characteristics: absence of supportive significant others; lacking purpose or challenges; aloneness imposed by others; withdrawal because of hearing deficits; feelings of rejection; limited mobility; vision impairment; and lack of convenient transportation.

The spouse or caregiver of a person experiencing these issues can also experience social isolation. Caregivers often neglect their own needs while caring for someone else.

Human beings are hardwired to affiliate, or connect with others. Loneliness affects millions of Americans either acutely or chronically. Everyday loneliness is painful when people are isolated from family and/or friends.

Lonely people may present as skeptical, distrusting, or staying on the periphery. They are not always easy to help. Loneliness can evolve into depression with the person saying things like, "I know I'm a burden. I just don't belong. Life's too difficult." What they are really saying is, "I am alienated from others." That depression, if not addressed, can lead to suicide. Recent studies demonstrate that the impact of loneliness on premature death is nearly as strong as that of disadvantaged socioeconomic status.

The Friendship Line can help by offering support through connection, conversation, and education. The call-out service can be scheduled for when a person feels the most afraid or vulnerable.

Not everyone who is lonely will become depressed. Not everyone who is depressed will become suicidal. But, in 2016, the American Association of Suicidology reported that adults aged 65 and over accounted for 8,204 suicides out of 44,965 for all ages.

Protective factors against suicide in the geriatric population include social connectedness, spirituality, a sense of responsibility (to family, friends, pets), and children in the home. Other factors are life satisfaction, the ability to test reality, positive coping strategies and problem-solving skills, and a positive therapeutic relationship.

Talking is often a very important means for the depressed person to find out why he is depressed. It is helpful to be able to identify the triggers that set the depression in motion.

While access to good healthcare and nutrition are essential to physical health in older people, social connection may be just as important. Imagine if the most powerful health intervention for the at-risk elderly isn't a high-tech surgery or a handful of expensive pills, but the simple exchange of stories during a telephone conversation.