The Chautauqua County Office for Aging Services (OFAS) will present a local screening of All the Lonely People, a social-impact film examining the epidemic of loneliness.

The in-person screening is free and open to the public on Friday, Nov. 4, at 3 p.m. at the Robert H. Jackson Center located at 305 E. Fourth St., Jamestown. It will include a facilitated Q&A with the film’s producers and local officials, offering a forum for community discussion about ways to develop resilience and implement strategies to combat social isolation.

We all found out during the pandemic that human being are social creatures and that we need social interactions to help us survive and thrive. Many experienced the toll that social isolation and loneliness can take on our physical and mental health. However, there are many in our society that experience social isolation even when there is no pandemic. People as they age find themselves alone more often as they stop driving or have more difficulty physically moving. Caring for someone with a serious illness, can often reduce the caregiver’s social interactions. People experiencing mental health problems can find themselves isolated from others. Loneliness and social isolation are serious public health risks in this country affecting a significant number of people and putting them at increased risk for serious medical conditions.

A report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) showed that more than one-third of adults aged 45 and older feel lonely, and nearly one-fourth of adults aged 65 and older are considered to be socially isolated. Older adults are at increased risk for loneliness and social isolation because they are more likely to face factors such as living alone, the loss of family or friends, chronic illness, and hearing loss. Loneliness is the feeling of being alone, regardless of the amount of social contact. Social isolation is a lack of social connections. However, social isolation and loneliness do not always go together. About 28% of older adults in the US live alone and many of them are not lonely or socially isolated. At the same time, some people feel lonely despite being surrounded by family and friends.

Although it’s hard to measure social isolation and loneliness precisely, there is strong evidence that people who are socially isolated or lonely have increased risk of poor health. In 2017, the U.S. Surgeon General declared social isolation to be a “global epidemic” – one that has only worsened in the COVID-19 health emergency. According to the AARP, social isolation drives $6.7 billion in additional Medicare spending each year. The health consequences of loneliness and isolation are equivalent to smoking almost a pack of cigarettes daily. The added stress of feeling alone increases heart disease and even earlier onset of dementia.

Conversely, people who engage in meaningful, productive activities with others tend to live longer, boost their mood, and have a sense of purpose. Activities that give people a sense of mission and purpose in life are linked to a healthier immune system.

The Chautauqua County Office for Aging Services in collaboration with New York State Office for the Aging and the Association on Aging in NY is bringing this local screening of the film, All the Lonely People to start a dialog about loneliness, its effects, and what we can do as a community to prevent the negative consequences.

The in-person screening and discussion is free and open to the public on Nov. 4 at 3 p.m. at the Robert H. Jackson Center in Jamestown. Refreshments will be available for purchase. This event is part of a statewide screening tour sponsored by New York State Office for the Aging and AgingNY.

All The Lonely People examines this epidemic on a deeply personal level. It follows a handful of people from different walks of life as they overcome social isolation and chronic loneliness, including New York residents Ari Rossen and Tony Westbrook, as well as people like Mary Hill, an 89-year-old caregiver who faces isolation in the rural countryside of England. We hope you will join us for this special event and discussion on Nov. 4 at the Jackson Center.

For more information on All the Lonely People or services to help older adults, contact our NY Connects Helpline at 716-753-4582 or e-mail us at ccnyc@chqgov.com. Information in this article was obtained from the CDC website at www.cdc.gov and the National Institutes of Health toolkit on social isolation and loneliness at www.nia.nih.gov/ctctoolkit. Stay well and stay connected!

Dr. Mary Ann Spanos is the director of the Chautauqua County Office for Aging Services.