Edward Stern is a guest blogger for My Dog Ate My Blog and a writer on accredited online universities for Guide to Online Schools.
My great uncle Bill was 92 and still living on his own. He refused outside help, and lord help anyone who brought up assisted living. He could take care of himself, and still worked in the yard, but thankfully didn’t drive anymore.
Like many other people, Uncle Bill was elderly and isolated. Except my visits and those of his neighbors, he didn’t have much actual contact with other people and rarely left the house; even taking him out to lunch was becoming more and more difficult. But Uncle Ed was and is lucky – for many of the elderly, they may not have human contact more than once a week. Family and friends may live far away, or have passed away, or worse, an older relative may have fallen off the radar.
A lack of human contact is detrimental for anyone. Loneliness often leads to depression, and without anyone looking out for them, any falls or accidents can go unnoticed. Households can fall into disrepair, and help, such as a needed move to assisted living, is not available if no one knows it is needed.
For the elderly, these problems are only magnified. Depression is common for those who are isolated, particularly after being widowed or after the loss of other family and peers. For my family, we learned this lesson the hard way with Uncle Bill. Always the rock of the family, the dependable and consistent one much, much younger in energy than in actual age, he began to slip after the death of his wife of over 50 years. Within 8 months of her death, he was spending almost all his hours in bed, alone.
Thankfully, with our visits, he was able to experience human contact several times a week, and with our efforts his depression eased and we were able to reminisce about happier times. We gave him help with chores he no longer had the energy for, and when he could no longer take care of himself, we were able to help with a transition to assisted living, where we still visit him just as frequently.
More older people need the attention we were able to give to Uncle Bill. In America, we often overlook the elderly as we’re so caught up in our own busy lives. However, they need our help, and often the best way to help is just to visit even for as little as a half hour at a time. Any time at all goes a very long way to brightening up a day, or an entire week.
Not only do visits help emotionally, but having a regular eye on someone without much other attention helps make sure they’re safe and able to take care of themselves. We were able to see very quickly that Uncle Bill was slipping, but if we hadn’t been visiting regularly, he could have hurt himself.
Taking time out of your day to visit the isolated elderly is an extraordinarily useful way to spend your time. It will help someone emotionally, bringing cheer, and also with safety and their own personal care. Visit a relative or a neighbor consistently. Not only will it affect them in an extremely positive manner, but it will be a rewarding deed for you as well.
To volunteer in Boulder, consider the Medical Mobility, Carry-out Caravan and Fix-It programs from CareConnect or the many services offered at Boulder County Aging Services. For more local information – listen to our August Forum on Aging Issues from an Elder’s Perspective.
Restoring the Soul 