Senior citizens often struggle with failing health and mobility problems, which are further compounded by feelings of loneliness, according to a new study from researchers at the University of California, San Francisco. Their research suggests that home healthcare services for elders may have significant benefits.
Authors of the study, which was published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, conducted a research on more than 1,600 individuals with an average age of 71. They discovered that 43 percent of the subjects said they were lonely, and that these feelings were linked to higher risks of death and a decline in the ability to carry out everyday tasks.
In the report, researchers said their findings indicate that healthcare providers should be proactive in screening for loneliness.
"Our results suggest that questioning older persons about loneliness may be a useful way of identifying elderly persons at risk of disability and poor health outcomes," the authors wrote.
Home healthcare services, which are offered by organizations like the Canadian Red Cross, provide seniors with more than a hot meal and healthcare maintenance, as elders often find that their at-home providers become a source of companionship in old age.