older adult holding smartphone with younger adult sitting next to her on couch looking on

Overcoming Social Isolation for Older Adults

More than one-third of 50–80-year-old Americans report feeling lonely and/or “socially isolated.” There are many reasons, but the most common factors are:

  • Disability and/or illness
  • Living alone
  • Lack of employment or other regular outside activities
  • Lack of reliable transportation

Other contributing factors include:

  • Limited income
  • Loss of contact with longtime friends (who may have their own health/transportation/budget issues)
2 older adults sitting on couch together looking at tablet

How We Can Help

For many, the answer is “getting together” virtually, with the aid of digital-communications apps. However, another common social-isolation factor is “digital illiteracy”—lack of knowledge regarding digital options and how to use them.

To help out, BridgingApps offers a variety of digital-literacy-related services for seniors:

  • Online resources
  • One-on-one coaching from Digital Navigators
  • Community classes
  • Presentations at larger events and expos

“We have grants through CTA Foundation and Next50 that are funding digital skills training for older adults,” says Amy Fuchs, BridgingApps Program Manager. “Amy Barry [our Digital Marketing Lead] and I will also be giving a presentation related to social isolation at the Assistive Technology Industry Association (ATIA) conference.” (The conference is January 29–February 1 in Orlando. The presentation is “Bridging Social Divides: Inclusive Tech Tips from BridgingApps.”)

Cristen Reat, Co-Founder and Program Director, adds: “I’ve been in active contact with the CTA Foundation [Consumer Technology Association] for ten years. Most of their grants support organizations that tackle aging issues, including the need to reduce social isolation. In recent years there has been a focus on platforms and tools that bring people together: gaming, online communities, and introducing people from the younger, tech-savvy generation to older adults. It’s all for the purpose of reducing isolation in under-served populations.”

What Our Clients Are Learning: One Example

On a smaller scale, clients who get one-on-one help often find more time to explore individual interests and needs. Says Ale Gonzalez, one of our Digital Navigators: “I have been working with a client who had low vision for some time and became blind over a year ago. She’s been practicing with the Job Access With Speech (JAWS) screen reader, and is now able to stay connected to family and friends. She is also going online to find other resources, and is building up confidence to attend virtual events with other visually impaired individuals. Her first goal for 2025 is to join a virtual movie event with her peers.”

From the client: “I can’t go out with friends as much as I used to before becoming blind: it’s more of a struggle to get out, especially since I’m on a tight budget and have limited funds for MetroLift. I still have a lot to learn about virtual socializing, including several JAWS features and how to log in to virtual training events and social hours. I do get invitations to events I would like to attend, and I will attend many more once I learn more about logging in.”

You Can Do Something

How about you? You may be:

  • A senior struggling with (or fearing the possibility of) social isolation
  • A family member or caretaker of a senior with isolation problems
  • A socially active senior wanting to help your lonelier peers
  • Anyone with concern and empathy for those affected by social isolation

Here are a few things anybody can do.

  • Join a social media group that focuses on topics of interest to seniors. Invite your contacts to join, too.
  • Tell others about your favorite social apps, especially apps with high percentages of older-adult users. (See our BridgingApps for Older Adults and Seniors list for some suggestions.)
  • Learn all you can about senior-adult concerns, including legal and economic issues. (AARP is still the top resource there.)

And, of major importance: if you have a friend or relative who seems to be growing withdrawn or less communicative, never brush this off as “just part of aging.” That attitude has kept many people from getting help with solvable problems. No aging-related problem is “normal” or “inevitable.”

Especially not social isolation.

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