Vital Futures Winter 2024
Improving the quality of life for people as they age.
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Tackling Loneliness As a Public Health Crisis
Everyone feels lonely at some point. But did you know loneliness can be as dangerous for your health as smoking 15 cigarettes a day? That being isolated can lower your life expectancy more than being obese? These are some of the shocking statistics published in the Surgeon General’s 2023 report, Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation. In that sobering 82page report, the Surgeon General writes that loneliness “is associated with a greater risk of cardiovascular disease, dementia, stroke, depression, anxiety, and premature death.”
If loneliness is an epidemic, then seniors are among the most affected members of
our society. Nationally, one in three seniors lives alone. Locally, that number may be even greater. When we surveyed our senior community last year, almost half reported living alone. In that same survey, 33% said that they typically spent more than 8 hours alone every day.
If you’re tempted to dismiss loneliness as not that big a deal compared to, say, diabetes, the Surgeon General’s report lays out clearly that it is actually a very big deal. You may know that hypertension (aka high blood pressure) is a leading cause of cardiovascular disease. But did you know that for
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COMBATING ISOLATION AND LONELINESS
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seniors social isolation is more likely to cause hypertension than diabetes?
As a direct response to the Surgeon General’s report, Senior Services for South Sound has taken the unusual step of adopting an organizational theme for 2024: Combating Isolation and Loneliness. This year, we’re looking at all the important work we do for seniors through that lens. As one example, consider our innovative Home Share program that matches people as housemates. The program was launched to address the housing crisis and to give seniors living alone more opportunity to age in place. Thinking about Home Share’s positive impact
on senior isolation and loneliness gives us another way of approaching the important role the program plays.
Executive Director Brian Windrope describes our organizational theme of Combating Isolation and Loneliness as “one color of our mission rainbow, a part of who we already are, and worthy of enhanced focus and consideration.” Throughout this issue, as you read about our many programs and services, you might reflect on how they help address the severe impact of isolation.
Postscript: Just before this issue went to press, we learned that San Mateo County in California had become the first US county to declare loneliness a public health emergency. We are proud to be on the forefront of addressing this very important health issue.
Social isolation has been associated with about a 50% increased risk of dementia rand other serious medical conditions, as well as an increased risk of premature death from all causes.
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BRIAN’S VIEW
I’m one of those odd folks who likes to disappear into wilderness. Think months alone traversing the Canadian Rockies, Sierra Nevada or Inside Passage. It’s deep within my DNA to do these things, and it has brought both intense joys and severe hardships. On these trips, I’ve learned an enormous amount about myself and about loneliness. But it has been my choice to be alone and away from other human beings for days and weeks at a time.
It’s something bred into the bones of some of us that we so often seek isolation over community. As one who has consciously sought out wild places devoid of a friendly face, I understand that urge to be alone. I also know that I’ve suffered greatly from loneliness at times on these trips, when dark thoughts and deep sadness well up in me and I crave friends like I crave pizza, with a deep, unyielding desire.
I’ve thought about my experiences of being alone while reflecting on our organizational theme for 2024, which is a focus on Isolation and Loneliness. I’ve learned that, while I indulge my need for time alone, I must also surround myself with friends and loved ones. I think we can make too much of being either introverted or extroverted. We ALL need friends and family and love and laughter and a shoulder to cry on, in some measure. My choice to have children was in part a recognition of my need to balance my inherent hermetic tendencies with the light and love of family.
There is nothing wrong with our very American sense of independence and solitude. But we can’t allow ourselves to become so isolated that the very serious health impacts of loneliness reduce our quality and quantity of this precious life. As you read this publication, I invite you to consider how Senior Services for South Sound can help improve your quality of life and strengthen community connections.
Brian Windrope Executive Director
Thank you to our Local Partners:
Meals on Wheels: More Than Just Food
In the fight against loneliness among seniors, Meals on Wheels emerges as a beacon of hope, offering not just sustenance, but also vital human connection.
Many seniors find themselves living alone with limited opportunities for social interaction leading to feelings of loneliness and depression. This is especially true for Meals On Wheels recipients like one of our clients, whom we’ll call Betty.
“I look forward to their visits,” she said. “Sometimes they’re the only person I see all week.”
While the primary goal of Meals on Wheels is to ensure that seniors have access to healthy food, volunteers go beyond simply delivering nutritious meals to seniors’ doorsteps. These volunteers provide seniors with a chance to connect with another person, to engage in conversation and to feel valued and seen.
Through this connection, volunteers often form meaningful relationships with the seniors they serve, becoming trusted friends and confidants. Meals on Wheels client Andy and his volunteer Rebecca are an excellent example of these lasting bonds.
“When I was in the hospital, Rebecca came by here every morning with her husband and made sure that Mr. Kitty, my cat, was fed and taken care of,” Andy said. He told us that Rebecca and her husband would drop by in the evenings as well to keep an eye on Mr. Kitty and Andy’s home. “They did that for weeks.”
In 2023, Meals on Wheels delivered more than 95,000 meals to 1,500 clients in need in our area.
This is just one example of the amazing benefits of programs like Meals on Wheels. In a world where human connection is more important than ever, the friendships formed between these volunteers and their clients serve as a reminder of the power of simple acts of kindness. Just one conversation can make a profound difference in the lives of others.
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In the morning when I eat my meal, I always think about the people who do that for me.”
THE PALS FUND
Fighting Loneliness With Pets
For seniors, owning a pet has been proven to have a hugely positive impact on mental health.
“Pets, especially for seniors, can fill that role. They’re someone that makes a person feel like they matter, that someone misses them and is happy to see them when they come home,” our Pet Assistance for LowIncome Seniors (PALS) manager, Kristy Wilkins said,
Something we’ve seen time and again is seniors putting off their own needs to take care of their pets, oftentimes forgoing medical attention and even food just to cover the costs of keeping their best friend in their lives.
In January alone, we helped cover vet bills for more than 40 pets!
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That’s where the PALS comes in. PALS covers veterinary bills for low-income seniors. From routine preventative care to emergency procedures, the fund provides much-needed support for seniors who simply cannot afford the rising cost of vet care.
Take for example Pam who needed help with her cat, Leo. Pam had put taking him to the vet off because she “was worried about the costs.”
After a call to PALS, Leo got an appointment almost immediately where it was discovered that he had diabetes. He’s now home and living a comfortable and healthly life.
“He’s put on over a pound and his bloodwork is normal. My heart is so grateful for your help and for giving me the nudge.”
Finding Community Through Volunteering
On a sleepy Friday morning at the Olympia Senior Center, John sits behind the counter at our coffee bar, casually chatting with a customer. Up on the second floor in our Budd Bay Boutique thrift store, Pam is hanging men’s shirts on a rack. In our office, Sandra is answering phones while Lou learns how to enter membership information into the computer.
These are just four of the fantastic volunteers who choose to share some of their time with us. We like to say that volunteers are the lifeblood of our organization, and we literally could not do what we do without them. In 2023, 323 folks volunteered more than 41,000 hours of their time to keep Senior Services running smoothly.
Why support us?
We are a non-profit organization, not a government agency, and rely on donations for almost 50% of our operating budget.
So, why choose to volunteer? For John, an artist who spends a lot of time alone painting, it’s a way to get out of the house and meet people. Once a week he spends a few hours of his morning serving coffee. “It’s fun,” he said. “I meet a lot of people, I get human contact.” Pam, who has been in our boutique for about a year, volunteers because “I get bored. Because I don’t have anything to do anymore!”
Sandra loves meeting people who come into the center. “There are wonderful people out there I would never meet in my normal life. And it’s a way to give back. I don’t have money to give to a lot of charities. But I’ve got time and I want to use it well.”
Lou didn’t hesitate when asked why she volunteers. “It gives me a purpose in life. I am becoming an advocate for older people because I don’t think we’re a waste, I think we’re an asset!”
Interested in volunteering?
Visit southsoundseniors.org/volunteer to learn more.
Your support will directly impact the lives of thousands of local seniors in Thurston and Mason Counties.
In 2023, almost 10,000 seniors benefited from our programs. With your help, we can do even more!
222 Columbia St NW
Olympia, WA 98501
