Caring for Ourselves

Social Isolation

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Seniors

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Experiencing social isolation
What is social isolation?
- Common misconceptions
- Why do we experience social isolation?
What increases the risk of social isolation?
How are we affected by social isolation?
How can we cope with social isolation?
Mental health services

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Experiencing social isolation

During this period of our lives, we may start experiencing many changes such as adjusting to retirement, dealing with health concerns, or even facing the loss of our loved ones. As these might reduce our social connections, we may have fewer meaningful interactions with others and may feel lonely or socially isolated. This can seriously impact our physical and mental health, as well as our quality of life.

Hence, it is important to learn more about social isolation and what we can do to reduce its risk.

Learn about social isolation and loneliness among the elderly, seniors, retirees and older adults in Singapore and how to cope with social isolation and loneliness.

What is social isolation?

Social isolation can occur when we have a lack of social connection with others.

When we experience social isolation, we might feel less satisfied with our relationships and a weaker sense of
belonging in society.

Common misconceptions:

What people may think:

We only experience social isolation if
we are living alone.

But did you know?

While we are more likely to experience social isolation living alone, we may still feel lonely around friends and family if we have minimal interactions with them, feel ignored by them or misunderstood.

What people may think:

Social isolation does not affect our health.

But did you know?

Social isolation and loneliness can increase the risk of developing various physical and mental health issues such as heart disease and depression.

Read more on the health effects of social isolation and loneliness here.

Why do we experience social isolation?

Social isolation and loneliness affect a significant number of older adults. As we grow older, our social circle tends to
get smaller due to:

The loss of our loved ones

Our adult children starting their
own families

Difficulties visiting friends and family due to health
or mobility issues

Feelings of self-consciousness or anxiety over
how others view us

Such circumstances may make it difficult for us to maintain high-quality social connections, leading to social isolation
and loneliness.

What increases the risk of social isolation?

While social isolation can affect anyone, some factors that may increase its likelihood include:

Living alone

Single marital status

Having a small or weak support network

Infrequent social interactions

Relationship problems
such as family conflicts

Age-related physiological changes... (e.g. difficulties in sight or hearing, struggles with mental abilities like memory, mobility limitations, insomnia or sleep complaints)

Bereavement and grief (e.g. losing a spouse, friend, or relative to death)

Retirement

Mental health conditions (e.g. depression, anxiety)

Past traumatic experiences leading to social phobia (e.g. being bullied, humiliated)

How are we affected by social isolation?

Social isolation and loneliness should not be neglected as it can affect our health. Some
effects that social isolation can have on our well-being are:

Understand why older adults, seniors, and the elderly self-harm, ways they can stop self-harm, cope with suicide thoughts and more

Increased risk of death

Higher risk of falls

Risk of self-harm and suicide

Lower quality of life

Reduced self-esteem

Increased chances of developing mental health conditions (e.g. depression, anxiety)

Greater levels of perceived
stress

Increase in hospital
re-admissions

Higher risk of mental and
physical decline (e.g. issues with
mental abilities, dementia, heart
disease, high blood pressure,
decreased immunity)

Increased risk of death

Higher risk of falls

Risk of self-harm and suicide

Lower quality of life

Reduced self-esteem

Increased chances of developing mental health conditions (e.g. depression, anxiety)

Greater levels of perceived
stress

Increase in hospital
re-admissions

Higher risk of mental and
physical decline (e.g. issues with
mental abilities, dementia, heart
disease, high blood pressure,
decreased immunity)

How can we cope with social isolation?

Being socially isolated can be a lonely and distressing experience. We may feel lost and unsure of how to connect with others or expand our social networks. Here are some ways we can cope with social isolation:

Reach out and be open to accepting support

Make plans with others

Set aside some time to spend outdoors

Join community programmes

Pick up a new skill or hobby

Volunteer for a charitable cause

Sign up for befriending services

Reach out and be open to accepting support

Connecting with others can be daunting especially if we do not know how to. We can start with small steps, such as smiling at someone we encounter in our neighbourhood, before progressing to engage others in conversations.

In times of need, we can reach out to a trusted family member, friend, or neighbour for support. Find out how we can reach out to others here.

We can also reach out by calling hotlines such as CareLine, a 24/7 personal care telephone service. CareLine supports seniors who may be living alone or are frail.

If we are still not coping well with social isolation and loneliness, we can seek support and advice from mental health professionals.

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Make plans with others

We can arrange enjoyable activities, outings, or catch-up sessions with those in our social network rather than spending our free time alone.

Set aside some time to spend outdoors

We can schedule some time to go outside for a walk or to simply sit on a park bench. This gives us opportunities to connect with others and gain a sense of community. We can also get some exercise to improve our general well-being and sleep better.

If we have mobility issues, we can consider applying for the Seniors’ Mobility and Enabling Fund (SMF). SMF provides eligible seniors with subsidies for assistive devices (e.g. walking sticks, wheelchairs and pushchairs), home healthcare items, and specialised transport. This may make it easier for us to go outdoors and connect with others in our community.

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Join community programmes

Community programmes such as the ‘Live Well, Age Well’ Programme allows us to participate in activities with peers from the same neighbourhood (e.g. exercise sessions or healthy living workshops). This can help us to ease loneliness by connecting with our peers and building a supportive network.

Pick up a new skill or hobby

Learning something new such as a skill or hobby not only keeps our brain young and active, but also allows us to meet and connect with new people who share similar interests. We can consider the following:

The National Silver Academy

This academy supports life-long learning by providing opportunities for seniors to continue learning and upskilling.

With a wide range of courses available to suit our interests and needs, we can meet like-minded peers, expand and strengthen our social networks, as well as reduce our difficulties connecting with other generations by interacting with people of different age groups.

The Seniors Go Digital programme

This programme teaches seniors how to use a smartphone for communication (e.g. phone calls, sending messages), leisure (e.g. watching videos), and services (e.g. making e-payments, scanning QR codes).

This can help us feel more connected to our increasingly digitalised society by enhancing our digital access and understanding. Available schemes are each tailored for varying levels of digital knowledge and income groups.

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Volunteer for a charitable cause

Taking part in volunteer work allows us to give back to our society and connect with others in our community. We may also gain a new meaning and purpose in life when we help others. Find out more about the various volunteer opportunities and experience here.

As part of this service, trained volunteers will visit us as a friend, providing some relief to our loneliness, isolation, or boredom.

Through our interactions, befrienders may also identify ways to improve our day-to-day environment and provide the necessary assistance. Simply visit the Agency for Integrated Care (AIC) E-Care Locator or AIC’s webpage for more information.

Reach out and be open to accepting support

Make plans with others

Set aside some time to spend outdoors

Join community programmes

Pick up a new skill or hobby

Volunteer for a charitable cause

Mental health services

Belle, Beyond the Label helpbot, is an interactive platform for users to find mental health resources and services in a private and convenient manner. If you or anyone you know is overwhelmed with stress or anxiety, you may find the help you need via Belle.

Get access to Belle

You may also visit here for more mental health resources or download the list of community mental health services including your nearest GP here.

Get access to Belle

You may also visit here for more mental health resources or download the list of community mental health services including your nearest GP here.

References

Nicholson Jr., N. R. (2009). Social isolation in older adults: an evolutionary concept analysis. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 65(6), 1342–1352. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2648.2008.04959.x
Merchant, R. A., Liu, S. G., Lim, J. Y., Fu, X., & Chan, Y. H. (2020). Factors associated with social isolation in community-dwelling older adults: a cross-sectional study. Quality of Life Research, 29(9), 2375–2381. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11136-020-02493-7
Chan, A., Raman, P., Ma, S., & Malhotra, R. (2015). Loneliness and all-cause mortality in community-dwelling elderly Singaporeans. Demographic Research, 32, 1361-1382. https://www.jstor.org/stable/26350155
Cacioppo, J. T., Hawkley, L. C., & Berntson, G. G. (2003). The Anatomy of Loneliness. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 12(3), 71–74. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-8721.01232
Cacioppo, J. T., Hawkley, L. C., & Thisted, R. A. (2010). Perceived social isolation makes me sad: 5-year cross-lagged analyses of loneliness and depressive symptomatology in the Chicago Health, Aging, and Social Relations Study. Psychology and Aging, 25(2), 453–463. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0017216
Nicholson, N. R. (2012). A Review of Social Isolation: An Important but Underassessed Condition in Older Adults. The Journal of Primary Prevention, 33(2–3), 137–152. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10935-012-0271-2
Wong, Y. S., & Verbrugge, L. M. (2009). Living Alone: Elderly Chinese Singaporeans. Journal of Cross-Cultural Gerontology, 24(3), 209–224. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10823-008-9081-7
Coyle, C. E., & Dugan, E. (2012). Social Isolation, Loneliness and Health Among Older Adults. Journal of Aging and Health, 24(8), 1346–1363. https://doi.org/10.1177/0898264312460275
World Health Organization. (2021). Advocacy Brief: Social isolation and loneliness among older people. Retrieved 15 June 2022 from https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240030749

CONTRIBUTED BY

Health Promotion Board

MindSG

Experiencing social isolation

What is social isolation?

Common misconceptions:

Why do we experience social isolation?

What increases the risk of social isolation?

How are we affected by social isolation?

How can we cope with social isolation?

Reach out and be open to accepting support

Make plans with others

Set aside some time to spend outdoors

Join community programmes

Pick up a new skill or hobby

Volunteer for a charitable cause

Sign up for befriending services

Mental health services