User:Deanatrimble/Social isolation

Contributing factors

 * Hearing loss -- hearing loss can cause communication impairment, which can lead to social isolation particularly in older adults.

Isolation among the elderly
Social isolation impacts approximately 24% of adults aged 65 and older in the United States, approximately 9 million people. The elderly have a unique set of isolating dynamics. Increasing frailty, possible declines in overall health, absent or uninvolved relatives or children, economic struggles can all add to the feeling of isolation. Among the elderly, childlessness can be a cause for social isolation. Whether their child is deceased or they didn't have children at all, the loneliness that comes from not having a child can cause social isolation. Retirement, the abrupt end of daily work relationships, the death of close friends or spouses can also contribute to social isolation. In the United States, Canada, and United Kingdom, a significant sector of the elderly who are in their 80s and 90s are brought to nursing homes if they show severe signs of social isolation. Other societies such as many in Southern Europe, Eastern Europe, East Asia, and also the Caribbean and South America, do not normally share the tendency towards admission to nursing homes, preferring instead to have children and extended-family of elderly parents take care of those elderly parents until their deaths. On the other hand, a report from Statistics Norway in 2016 stated that more than 30 percent of seniors over the age of 66 have two or fewer people to rely on should personal problems arise.

Hearing loss and isolation
One contributing factor to social isolation among elderly individuals is age-related hearing loss. The risk of hearing loss increases with age due to the non-regenerative nature of the hair cells in the ear responsible for hearing. As age increases, these hair cells will continue to be irreversibly damaged therefore causing hearing loss. Hearing loss, particularly in older adults, is associated with the inability to effectively communicate, which can lead to social isolation. Hearing loss can also make it difficult to maintain interpersonal relationships, which can result in social isolation. Hearing loss and loneliness have also shown associations. One Dutch study demonstrated a seven percent increase in odds of developing loneliness for each one decibel drop in sound perception in adults under 70 years old.

Isolation and health and mortality
Social isolation and loneliness in older adults is associated with an increased risk for poor mental and physical health and increased mortality. There is an increased risk for early mortality in individuals experiencing social isolation compared to those who are not socially isolated. Studies have found social isolation is associated with increased risk in physical health conditions including high blood pressure, high cholesterol, elevated stress hormones, and weakened immune systems. Social isolation has also been found to be associated with poor mental health including increased risk for depression, cognitive decline, anxiety, and substance use. Social isolation in elderly individuals is also associated with an increased risk for dementia.