Loneliness in older adults ‘leads to more visits to doctor’

Loneliness and social isolation among older adults can lead to a higher number of visits to the doctor, according to a new study.

Carried out by the University of Georgia and published in the American Journal of Public Health, the research examined survey responses from 3,530 US adults aged 60 and older, comparing their loneliness scores with their self-reported hospital stays and physician visits.

It was found that cases of chronic loneliness were significantly associated with an increased number of doctor visits, a trend that adds credence to the view that isolation in older people could be a serious public health issue.

Lonely respondents also reported more problems with daily living tasks and a greater number of depressive symptoms, while they were also less likely to evaluate their health as good, very good or excellent.

Study co-author Jayani Jayawardhana, an assistant professor in health policy and management at the University of Georgia College of Public Health, said: "With an intervention as simple as a phone call, home visit or community programme, you can avoid unnecessary healthcare utilisation and additional expenditures that ultimately cost all of us as a society."

Issues such as these could become more important in the coming years in the UK, due to the gradual increase in the average age of the population.