“As social isolation takes its toll on older adults, many find ways to cope”

by Craig Miller

“The holidays, for all their glitter and manufactured cheer, are also notorious for stoking feelings of loneliness and depression.

“This year – the first holiday season of the COVID-19 pandemic – will be a bigger test than usual. With coronavirus cases on the rise again across the country, caution will dictate more social distancing and isolation, particularly among older Americans.

“Some of the nation’s most respected health authorities, including Dr. Anthony Fauci and his boss at the National Institutes of Health, Dr. Francis Collins, have publicly said they’re foregoing large family gatherings at Thanksgiving this year.

“‘It can’t be understated how important social isolation can be on the health of older adults,’ says Dr. Ashwin Kotwal, a geriatrician and palliative care specialist at the University of California, San Francisco.”

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