Last time you visited your doctor, did he or she ask if you felt lonely? Did your doctor inquire about how many friendships you have or ask about how many community groups you are involved with? There’s a growing body of research showing that extended … Continue reading
(Editor’s Note: Across the country, communities are fraying in the wake of the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis. Many people are dealing with a multitude of emotions, including grief — both past and present. So we are republishing this Next Aven… Continue reading
My mother, 72, had been a widow for three years when she was set up by mutual friends with Hank, a 75-year-old widower whose wife had died a few months before. Hank lived in Boston and she was in New York City, so they’d spent many hours on the phone b… Continue reading
(Editor’s Note: This is part of our Loneliness + Isolation series brought to you by Consumer Cellular.) Various surveys of older Americans have found that between 33% and 43% of them are lonely. But we wanted to find out how lonely, what makes them fee… Continue reading
Opioid abuse has risen dramatically over the past 20 years and a recent survey from the National Council on Aging (NCOA) paints an alarming picture of how older adults are affected. The survey garnered responses from more than 200 diverse community-bas… Continue reading
If you saw me walking down the street, a white, middle-class guy in his 60s, I doubt you’d think I could be someone who was once addicted to opioids. But I was, and I’m sharing my story about this journey to help people understand that addiction can ha… Continue reading
A friend asked with genuine concern, “How are you?” “I’m OK. Not very happy, never am. I think the world is a pretty crazy place, but I’m OK,” I replied. “Really? You look troubled. I’m asking because I want to know how you are … really,” she said. E… Continue reading
A friend asked with genuine concern, “How are you?” “I’m OK. Not very happy, never am. I think the world is a pretty crazy place, but I’m OK,” I replied. “Really? You look troubled. I’m asking because I want to know how you are … really,” she said. E… Continue reading
Two years have passed since the U.K. announced a buzzy and shocking, headline-making position: the Minister of Loneliness — an appointment born from a 2017 report that said nine million of the country’s 67 million people feel lonely some or all of the … Continue reading
(Editor’s Note: This story originally ran on Rewire.) National and international politics are reaching a cacophony. It’s hard to cut through the chatter to know where our country, and planet, is really headed. To top it off, we’re living with feelings … Continue reading