Скачать или смотреть America’s Senior Loneliness Epidemic: A Data-Driven Brief

America’s Senior Loneliness Epidemic: A Data-Driven Brief
Disconnected Aging: Senior Social Ties, Measured
Beyond Anecdotes: Senior Isolation in Charts
Aging in Silence: What the Numbers Say
The Shrinking Circle: Senior Connection, By the Data
When the Calls Stop: Mapping Senior Disconnection
*Description*

This brief defines—without prescriptions—the scale and contours of **senior loneliness and declining social connection in the United States**. Using national datasets, we quantify who is affected, how exposure occurs (living alone, time use), how often connection actually happens (friend/family contact), what older adults report (loneliness and perceived support), and the **associated health risk deltas**. The aim is to establish a clear, board-grade baseline for leaders who can help shape SAMF’s mission.

*What’s inside*

Population scale of 65+ and exposure by household structure
Time alone (ATUS) and the changing distribution of friend contact (NPHA)
Prevalence snapshots: loneliness and social support (UCLA items; BRFSS/PLACES)
Distinction: social isolation (objective) vs. loneliness (subjective)
Health associations summarized from the U.S. Surgeon General’s advisory

*Why this matters*
Even modest percentage shifts translate into *millions* affected. The evidence links loneliness/isolation to *~26–32% higher risks* across mortality and cardiometabolic outcomes—making this a measurable, material public-health challenge rather than an anecdotal concern.

*For prospective board members*
If you’re a leader in public health, social policy, aging services, philanthropy, or data science and want to help architect a scalable response, please signal interest via the **pinned comment**. This episode is **problem definition only**; solutions and implementation roadmaps follow in subsequent modules.

*Sources*
ACL Profile of Older Americans (2023); BLS/ATUS (2024); U. Michigan NPHA (2024); CDC BRFSS/PLACES; HHS *Surgeon General Advisory on Loneliness* (2023).

#SeniorLoneliness #Aging #PublicHealth #SocialIsolation #DataDriven #SAMF