When we talk about loneliness, we’re often actually talking about social isolation. These are two separate but interconnected phenomena that impact old people particularly:
This means that a person can be lonely without actually being socially isolated. For instance, an older person might see their children, friends and family regularly, but still deeply miss a partner who has passed away and therefore feel very lonely when they’re home alone.
On the other hand, a person may be socially isolated but content with the status quo, and therefore not lonely. However, social isolation does frequently result in loneliness and this is often the case in old age.
** This post was originally published on https://www.uksmobility.co.uk/blog/2018/02/loneliness-in-the-elderly/
