Modern life does not tend towards the cultivation of a connected community. Boxed into small – but fully wired – apartments, or living in suburbs where we need a car just to go for litre of milk, we tend to live in our own little world. We do not sit on the porch to watch children playing in the street, take casual walks around the neighborhood or find ourselves at a nearby park bench visiting with neighbors. Our lives feel too busy for such time-consuming activities. However, the result of these increasingly connected but individualistic lifestyles is loneliness.
The Vancouver Sun has highlighted the negative impact that loneliness has on mental and physical health. Recently, one article noted that according to statistics from the B.C. Coroners Service, British Columbians 70 and older account for about 12 per cent of suicides in the province. The key factors contributing to this are increased health problems concurrent with a shrinking social support system, which might otherwise help seniors to surmount those challenges by staying active and engaged.
In an article from Live Science, Stephanie Pappas discusses recent research that shows how long-term social isolation – and the resulting loneliness – tends to negatively impact the body’s immune system. And only this week, the United Wayannounced cuts to its services for seniors due to donation shortfalls.
So what is the answer? http://tinyurl.com/l7teate
No comments:
Post a Comment