A recent study indicated that for older people, loneliness can have serious health consequences, including an earlier-than-expected death and loss of physical functioning. Geriatricians asked 1,604 adults age 60 and older how often they felt isolated or left out. Answers were recorded in 2002 and every two years until 2008. The number of participants who reported feeling lonely did not change over that period, but by 2008, 24.8% of that group reported declines in their ability to perform activities of daily living. Only 12.5% of those who were not lonely showed such declines. Lonely older adults were also 45% more likely to die than those who had meaningful connections with others.
Read the full article here: The High Price Of Loneliness