Alone and at Risk

Staying in touch is good for your health

by: Holly Zimmerman | from: AARP The Magazine | October 2, 2012

Here's a lifesaving health tip: Add "spend time with family and friends" to your to-do list. Research shows that social detachment — having few close relationships — is as bad for you as smoking and worse than obesity. Older adults can become isolated by life situations such as lack of transportation, landing this issue squarely on AARP Foundation's radar screen.

To learn more about solitary Americans, the foundation sent surveys last spring to select AARP Foundation Tax-Aide sites, focusing on the ones more likely to serve a less engaged population.* Ten percent of the 15,000 people who returned the two-page questionnaire reported they had trouble "staying connected" with family, friends and neighbors. Next steps for AARP Foundation: learning how to help repair and strengthen the broken links.

*Site selection was based primarily on U.S. Census data (percentage of people age 65-plus living alone, with disabilities, and percentage of those 60-plus living in rural areas). Findings are not generalizable to the general U.S. population nor to the AARP Foundation Tax-Aide taxpayer population.

http://www.aarp.org/aarp-foundation/our-work/isolation/info-2012/alone-and-at-risk-isolation-survey.html

"Learn About Senior In Home Health Care in Traverse City and Northern Michigan

Senior Helpers Provides Many services in the Traverse City and Northern Michigan area. We provide a full array of Home Care services for seniors and the elderly living in this beautiful area. Our Home Care Services are provided by bonded and insured employees and all employees pass a National Background check.

If you need Home Care services in Alpena, Bellaire, Boyne City, Cadillac, Charlevoix, Cheboygan, Empire, Frankfort, Gaylord, Grayling, Harbor Springs, Houghton Lake, Indian River, Northern Michigan, Petoskey, Roscommon, Suttons Bay, Tawas City, Traverse City, West Branch and the surrounding areas we are an excellent choice with impeccable references. Home Health Care for your elderly loved ones is never an easy choice but we can promise we will do our best to make it as painless as possible. From our family to yours we sincerely thank you for considering Senior Helpers of Traverse City and Northern Michigan Home Health Care Company. "