Addressing an Epidemic of Loneliness
Barbara Emry, 94, lives alone. She is not in touch with many relatives and has few friends. Like more than two in five seniors, Barbara feels lonely, a condition that increases her risk of chronic disease.
For the latest New Directions in Health Care podcast, Sandy Hausman speaks with the Commonwealth Fund’s Tanya Shah about how isolated adults with high needs face financial hardship and often delay needed care.
Hausman also interviews Sachin Jain, M.D., of CareMore Health, an integrated care delivery system that identifies high-need seniors who lack social supports and links them with "togetherness connectors" who call weekly. Another program explored in the episode, LinkAges, provides an online platform where people can go to request or offer services.
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