Senior advocates are sounding the alarm about the effects of social isolation on older people in Illinois, saying loneliness is comparable to smoking and can increase the risk of early death by 50%.

Research shows a lack of social connection is as dangerous as smoking 15 cigarettes a day.

Jeanne Heid-Grubman, director of strategic initiatives for Chicago Methodist Senior Services, called social isolation and loneliness in seniors a "silent epidemic," explaining the older people get, the more likely their interactions with others will decrease.

"A lot of attention is paid to medical issues, physical issues," Heid-Grubman observed. "But it's that social aspect of us as human beings that I feel is kind of neglected."

About 40% of adults over age 60 in Illinois live alone. Heid-Grubman said community initiatives like Chicago Methodist's Senior Connections program, which matches people for intergenerational friendships, aim to encourage connectedness, citing studies showing social connection increases the odds of survival and happiness.

Heid-Grubman noted in her 45-year career, she has seen many people struggle to find meaning in their lives as they age. She argued it is important not to view older adults as "pathetically lonely," because they have a lot to offer. Heid-Grubman shared one client's story of losing her husband and having no local family but finding friendship and joy through her intergenerational "match." She added some matches have grown to become as close as family, sharing holidays and trips together.

"In being able to give that to other people -- their wisdom, their stories about things that they've gone through -- that makes their life have more meaning," Heid-Grubman pointed out.

Richard Frohbose, director of operations for Meals on Wheels of Northern Illinois, said his organization encourages community connectedness through more than 20 café sites. They also partner with local transit services to provide transportation, home-delivered meals and wellness checks to homebound seniors.

"Our clients tells us that they depend on our services," Frohbose stressed. "Some would not eat without us. Some would never see a friendly face or speak to another person."

Frohbose explained they are reaching out to local hospitals and mental health providers to offer "social prescribing" services, and are working on a new technological wellness check initiative to help combat senior isolation in communities across the state.

A former Wisconsin mayor said the new federal budget will only worsen the current aging crisis families like hers have already been facing.

Analysis from the Congressional Budget Office suggests President Trump's budget bill will trigger automatic cuts to Medicare due to an expected increase in the national deficit.

Judy Karofsky, a former mayor of Middleton, said it would affect hospice services and end-of-life programs already in need of greater funding. She explained when her mother was 99, the local hospice agency determined she was not dying soon enough and abruptly discontinued her services. She explained how it also triggered her eviction from the assisted living facility where she was at the time.

"This happens in this country," Karofsky emphasized. "My mother was 99-and-a-half when that was decided. We were on our own for a matter of months. She did die within the next six months, just before she turned 100. It was cruel!"

Karofsky stressed cuts to Medicare would rob many of the most vulnerable Americans, like her mother, of their right to a dignified death.

Hospice provides patients and families with pain relief, medical equipment, nursing care and spiritual support. Studies show hospice saves Medicare and families money by reducing overall health care spending. Karofsky said without it, families are faced with financial burdens few can bear.

"I thought before I was involved with my mom's hospice care, that hospice was a charity," Karofsky noted. "I understand now that every hour of help, every service, every product that's brought to a hospice recipient is reimbursed through Medicare and every hospice agency is beholden to Medicare."

The number of Americans aged 65 and older is expected to more than double over the next 40 years.

Karofsky argued the issue of underregulated assisted living facilities will worsen the current aging crisis across the country. In her book, "DisElderly Conduct, The Flawed Business of Assisted Living and Hospice," Karofsky recounted her mother's negative experience at six assisted living facilities in Wisconsin and called for action to address the ongoing crisis.


get more stories like this via email

The nation's largest advocacy group for people age 50 and older is investing more than $4.2 million, including more than $75,000 in Colorado, to help make communities more livable for people of all ages.

AARP Colorado Associate State Director Marissa Volpe said the city of Fort Collins won a $20,000 AARP grant to host a series of hands-on workshops, in both English and Spanish, to make it easier for low-income residents to remain in their homes as they get older.

"This is going to focus on plumbing 101, water conservation for mobile homes and senior apartments," said Volpe. "And the event aims to really build do-it-yourself skills, reduce maintenance costs and support aging in place."

AARP's Livable Communities initiative has invested more than $24 million in some 1,700 projects since 2017, including 40 in Colorado.

The program funds innovative projects meant to inspire change in public spaces, housing, transportation and more.

This year marks AARP's most substantial investment in rural communities to date, with 45% of grants going to these areas.

The grassroots group Commún was awarded more than $18,000 to develop an emergency disaster plan for the Loretto Heights Resilience Hub in Southwest Denver.

Volpe said this community-driven effort will help empower local navigators, known as promotoras, to deliver disaster preparedness and other critical information to older residents.

"It's the idea to capacitate those on the ground," said Volpe, "the folks you might see at church on Sunday, the folks you might see in the supermarket - with the necessary information."

Bike Durango won a grant of more than $12,000 to install a temporary bike lane on Junction Creek Road.

Volpe said the lane will promote a safer environment for walking and cycling, and help people access multiple municipal amenities.

"Expanding pedestrian safety, walkability, and bikeability in communities," said Volpe. "This is a big point of making communities livable and reducing car traffic."

Eastern Kentucky is still trying to recover from the decline of coal production and a regional nonprofit will soon kick off a digital training initiative for older adults in counties in need of extra job skills.

The nonprofit Shaping Our Appalachian Region was awarded a Community Challenge grant from AARP to help get this program off the ground. Participants will receive free training on artificial intelligence-related tools, Microsoft Office and internet safety.

Colby Hall, executive director of the group, said the classes send a message: Just because a key industry is no longer a force, it does not mean people living here do not have a future in these parts.

"We have a lot of really awesome, hardworking, passionate, caring people that don't want to have to leave to find opportunity," Hall explained.

Whether it is volunteering or seeking a new job later in life, Hall argued communities cannot let older adults fall behind because they have not used much digital technology. He stressed they bring years of knowledge and life experience to a project or business. Beyond remote work opportunities, labor analysts said health care and aerospace are among the in-demand sectors in the region.

As they put the final touches on the program, Hall added they want to ensure people living on a fixed income still have access to devices and other technology after the training.

"We also are going to be able to leverage our office to be able to have rental equipment," Hall pointed out. "They can use computers and have access to internet in the office."

Shaping Our Appalachian Region is based in Pikeville but the training will be offered out of its Whitesburg location. Hall noted they hope to start training the first group later this summer.

AARP Kentucky said this year, a total of eight organizations across the state will share $84,000 in Community Challenge grants.