Loneliness in old age: Reinickendorf discusses ways out of isolation

Loneliness in old age: Reinickendorf discusses ways out of isolation

On December 16, 2024, the first loneliness summit took place in the Reinickendorf town hall, initiated by district mayor Emine Demirbüken-Wegner (CDU). The main aim of the event was to discuss the challenges of loneliness in old age. Numerous experts and interested parties came together to find ways to actively combat loneliness. The poet Jessy James LaFleur opened the event with a moving poem, followed by a lecture by Prof. Dr. med. Mazda Adli with the title “Loneliness – Things worth knowing about a special pain of the soul”.

Another important contribution came from Stefanie Wind, spokeswoman for the Solitude Exit working group, who focused on the topic of “Encountering loneliness – creating community”. After the lectures, the participants were able to work in four groups on specific topics: taboo and stigma, loneliness prevention, mobility and digitalization. This group work made it possible to develop differentiated approaches to combat loneliness.

The reality of loneliness in old age

According to the Malteser, around one in ten older people in Germany is affected by loneliness. In many cases, with increasing age, the number of social relationships decreases, leading to an increasing risk of social isolation. This often happens unnoticed because not every lack of social contact is perceived as unpleasant. But subjectively, many older people experience loneliness as stressful, especially if their relationships do not meet their own expectations.

Studies show that loneliness has a negative impact on physical and mental health, quality of life and general well-being. Old age alone is not a significant risk factor for loneliness. Rather, factors such as poverty or health restrictions, which increase particularly with age, influence the feeling of loneliness. A Forsa survey from 2021 showed that more than one in five people aged 75 and over often or occasionally feel lonely.

Issues of social isolation

Research has shown that older people have been particularly hard hit by the negative effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Social isolation leads to a lack of social contact, which greatly increases the risk of serious health complications. The connection between social isolation and a variety of chronic illnesses is obvious; There are often higher incidences of diseases such as high blood pressure and diabetes.

In addition, social isolation can promote cognitive impairment and severely limit quality of life. Old people are therefore exposed to increased mortality, the risk of which can increase by up to 50% over a period of 7.5 years in isolated individuals. The psychological pressure that results from loneliness can lead to symptoms of stress, sleep problems, and even worsening of pre-existing mental illnesses.

Given these challenges, it is crucial to improve the social situation of older people. The organizers of the loneliness summit and the experts agree: Through targeted measures to reduce social isolation, both the health and quality of life of older people can be significantly improved.