Loneliness in the elderly

As populations age and live longer than ever before, the prevalence of loneliness in the elderly is becoming increasingly apparent, warranting further investigation of the factors contributing to these feelings. Loneliness in the elderly can impact both physical and mental health, making it an increasingly important patient factor to explore for diagnostic and treatment purposes. This review aims to consider the multitudinous and complex factors surrounding loneliness in the elderly, and to discuss current initiatives to combat this issue. It further demonstrates why loneliness in the elderly can be considered an issue in healthcare by exploring the effects that loneliness has on an individual’s quality of life, from both a physical and mental health perspective. It takes a closer look at the present-day practices used to treat loneliness, as well as promising interventions that are currently being researched. In particular, this review focuses on a promising intervention termed ‘social prescribing’, which consists of non-traditional treatment plans in the context of medicine, and discusses the different approaches that societies are taking to address loneliness.