News from engAGED

April 2023

News

Taking place May 9 and 10 from 1:00 to 4:00 pm ET, the 2023 engAGED and Commit to Connect Social Engagement Virtual Summit will showcase the latest research, innovative programs, and tools and resources to increase social engagement in rural communities and support the social connection needs of family caregivers.

New Resource! Highlights from the Innovations Hub

engAGED’s newest publication, What Works: Social Engagement Innovations and Best Practices, features programs that employ social engagement interventions and tap into an array of partners to reach consumers in rural, suburban and urban communities. Read this publication to get inspiration for your organization’s social engagement efforts to address social isolation and loneliness in your community.

Supporting the Social Engagement Needs of Underserved Populations

Check out two resources from engAGED that can help your organization increase the social engagement of historically marginalized and underserved communities. View the recording from this month’s webinar focused on supporting engagement of LGBTQ+ older adults and read a blog post to learn about programs and activities to increase social engagement of Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) older adults. The blog post may also spur ideas for how to celebrate AAPI Heritage Month, taking place next month!

Celebrate Older Americans Month

May is recognized as Older Americans Month. To celebrate this year’s theme of Aging Unbound, consider hosting a special event or organizing a group project such as a community garden or mosaic art project. For more ideas and materials to support your activities, visit the Administration for Community Living’s website. You can also use the engAGED calendar of social engagement opportunities to find ways to promote social engagement throughout the year.

Save the Date to Share How You Stay #SociallyengAGED!

June 12-16, 2023 is Loneliness Awareness Week. To raise awareness of the importance of social engagement, engAGED is organizing a week-long social media “Fill in the Blank” sign campaign that will allow individuals to share how they stay #SociallyengAGED. This campaign is open to all, so we hope you share the information widely with your colleagues, volunteers and those you serve. Keep an eye out for an email next month with more details and materials to support your participation!

Recent Research

Effect of Laughter Yoga on Loneliness, Resilience and Quality of Life

A recent study examined the impact of laughter yoga on loneliness, psychological resilience and quality of life of older adults living in a nursing home. Results indicated the eight-week program reduced loneliness and increased resilience and quality of life of participants.

Impact of Grandparenting on Life Satisfaction

A study investigating the effect of grandparenting on the life satisfaction of community-dwelling older migrants in China, and the mediating roles that loneliness and self-esteem may play. Results demonstrated that grandparenting can improve life satisfaction by reducing loneliness and increasing self-esteem.

Effects of a Social Robot Intervention on Cognitive and Emotional Health

This study explored whether a social robot intervention improves cognitive function, depression, loneliness and quality of life in older adults living alone. Following 12 storytelling sessions of a parrot-shaped robot hatching from an egg and growing into an adult robot, results showed the social robot intervention improved cognitive function and reduced depression and loneliness among participants.

Trends in Older Adult Loneliness

The results of a January 2023 University of Michigan National Poll on Healthy Aging showed that 34 percent of adults between the ages of 50 and 80 felt isolated from others in the past year, down from 56 percent in 2020 but still more than findings from a 2018 pre-pandemic poll (27 percent).

Innovations Hub Spotlight

This month we are spotlighting the Library Memory Project developed by the Bridges Library System in WI in partnership with the Alzheimer’s Association of Southeastern WI. The project offers programs to those living with memory loss, Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia, including memory cafés and a StoryCorps initiative. To learn more about this project and other replicable social engagement innovations from across the country, visit the engAGED Innovations Hub—and read What Works: Social Engagement Innovations and Best Practices.

Resources

A recent episode of the Conversations to Connect podcast focused on how social prescribing can help reduce loneliness by linking people to specific services and activities to meet their health, well-being and connection needs.
Concerts in Motion provides no-cost live virtual or phone music performances for older adults and people with disabilities. Learn about the weekly virtual concerts and how you can share this resource with those you serve.

Articles

Putting senior housing on or near college campuses benefits young and old. (The Atlanta-Journal Constitution, February 27, 2023)
Art exhibition offers senior opportunity to improve mental health (Global News, February 28, 2023)
Loneliness/Lack of Social Support Linked with Alzheimer Classical Risk Factors (Psychiatry Advisor, March 3, 2023)
Free Or Low-Cost Ways You Can Help The Elderly Cope With Loneliness (Patch News, March 1, 2023)
Sharing meals can help older Australians combat loneliness (The National Tribune, March 14, 2023)
After 3 Years of the Pandemic, Loneliness May Be Ebbing for America's Older Adults (U.S. News & World Report, March 14, 2023)
Older Adults Face Lower Social Isolation, But Mental Health Woes Linger (Patient Engagement Hit, March 17, 2023)
The Particular Loneliness Facing Undocumented Older Immigrants (Next Avenue, March 17, 2023)
What SuperAgers show us about longevity, cognitive health as we age (Washington Post, April 13, 2023)

Social Engagement Events

Virtual Event: engAGED and Commit to Connect Virtual Social Engagement Summit (May 9, 1:00-4:00 pm ET and May 10, 1:00-4:00 pm ET)
Virtual Event: NCOA, ACL HRSA and SAMHSA 6th Annual Older Adult Mental Health Awareness Day Symposium (May 11, 10:00 am-5:00 pm ET)

This project #90EECC0002 is supported by the Administration for Community Living (ACL), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of a financial assistance award totaling $450,000 (or 74 percent) funded by ACL/HHS and $161,554 (or 26 percent) funded by non-government sources. The contents are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by ACL/HHS, or the U.S. Government.