Caring for Others

Our Elderly Parents

Select the topic you are looking for information on

Managing Dementia
Experiencing Social isolation

Choose what you’d like to read

Experiencing social isolation
What is social isolation?
- Common misconceptions
- Why do our parents experience social isolation?
What increases the risk of social isolation?
How does social isolation affect our parents?
Signs of social isolation
How can we help our parents cope?
Mental health services

Experiencing social isolation

As they enter a slower pace of their lives, our elderly parents may experience many changes such as adjusting to retirement, dealing with health concerns, or even facing the loss of their loved ones. As these might reduce their social connections, they may have fewer meaningful interactions with others and may feel lonely or socially isolated. This can seriously impact our parents’ physical and mental health, as well as their quality of life.

Hence, it is important to learn more about social isolation and what we can do to reduce its risk.

Learn about social isolation and the loneliness your elderly parents experience as they grow old

What is social isolation?

Social isolation can occur when our parents lack social connections with others.

When they experience social isolation, they might feel less satisfied with their relationships and a weaker sense of
belonging in society.

Common misconceptions:

What people may think:

Our parents only experience social
isolation if they are living alone.

But did you know?

While they are more likely to experience social isolation living alone, our parents may still feel lonely if they feel ignored, are misunderstood, or have minimal interactions with friends and family.

Social isolation does not affect our health.

What people may think:

Social isolation does not affect our
parents’ health.

But did you know?

Social isolation and loneliness can increase the risk of developing various physical and mental health issues such as heart disease and depression.

Read more on the health effects of social isolation and loneliness here.

Why do our parents experience it?

Social isolation and loneliness affect a significant number of older adults. As our parents grow older, their social circle
can get smaller due to:

The loss of their loved ones

Their adult children starting their
own families and moving out

Difficulties visiting friends and family due
to health or mobility issues

Feelings of self-consciousness or anxiety over
how others view them

Such circumstances may make it difficult for them to maintain high-quality social connections, leading to social
isolation and loneliness.

What increases the risk of social isolation?

While social isolation can affect anyone, some factors that may increase its likelihood include:

Living alone

Single marital status

Having a small or weak support network

Infrequent social interactions

Relationship problems
such as family conflicts

Age-related physiological changes... (e.g. difficulties in sight or hearing, struggles with mental abilities like memory, mobility limitations, insomnia or sleep complaints)

Bereavement and grief (e.g. losing a spouse, friend, or relative to death)

Retirement

Mental health conditions (e.g. depression, anxiety)

Past traumatic experiences leading to social phobia (e.g. being bullied, humiliated)

How does social isolation affect our parents?

Social isolation and loneliness should not be neglected as it can affect our parents’ health.
Some effects that social isolation can have on their well-being are:

Understand why older adults, seniors, and the elderly self-harm, ways they can stop self-harm, cope with suicide thoughts and more

Increased risk of death

Higher risk of falls

Risk of self-harm and suicide

Lower quality of life

Reduced self-esteem

Increased chances of developing mental health conditions (e.g. depression, anxiety)

Greater levels of
perceived stress

Increase in
hospital re-admissions

Higher risk of mental and
physical decline (e.g. dementia,
heart disease, high blood
pressure, decreased immunity)

Increased risk of death

Higher risk of falls

Risk of self-harm and suicide

Lower quality of life

Reduced self-esteem

Increased chances of developing mental health conditions (e.g. depression, anxiety)

Greater levels of
perceived stress

Increase in
hospital re-admissions

Higher risk of mental and
physical decline (e.g. dementia,
heart disease, high blood
pressure, decreased immunity)

Signs of social isolation

As our parents age, they may feel lonely or disconnected, especially if they have difficulties maintaining social connections with others. To better support them, we can be attentive and look out for common signs and symptoms of social isolation, such as:

Changes in behaviour and personality
Changes in personal hygiene or appearance
Changes in eating patterns
Changes in sleep patterns

Changes in behaviour and personality

Having a general lack of interest in hobbies usually enjoyed or withdrawing from social activities

Appearing unusually
sad, down, hostile, or
even fearful

Changes in personal hygiene or appearance

Lacking motivation for self-grooming or dressing up

Changes in eating patterns

Loss of appetite or overeating

Changes in sleep patterns

Sleep problems
(e.g. difficulty falling asleep, having a lower quality of sleep)

How can we help our parents cope?

Being socially isolated can be a lonely and distressing experience. Our parents may sometimes feel lost or have difficulties communicating their feelings to us.

Here are some ways we can better support them as they cope with social isolation:

Show concern by listening and reassuring them

Show care by spending time with them regularly

Help them feel more included in the family

Make plans to accompany or go outdoors with them

Keep them engaged with activities

Motivate them to volunteer for a charitable cause

Pick up a new skill or hobby

Motivate them to sign up for befriending services

Reach out to a healthcare professional for support

Show concern by listening and reassuring them

When reaching out to our parents, we can try to understand them by listening to them attentively and encouraging them to share how they feel. We can also help them feel less isolated and more supported by reassuring them that they are not alone.

We can practise being empathetic by putting ourselves in their shoes and trying to understand what they are going through. Rather than saying “If I were you, I would do this…”, we could say “I understand this must be tough on you…”. This can encourage them to open up and reach out to us if they face any problems.

Read Less

Show care by spending time with them regularly

If our parents are living in the same household as us, we can spend some time to ask about their day and share how our day went as well. Mealtimes can be an excellent time to do so.

If they are not living in the same household, we can schedule some time to call or visit them for a regular chat and to check in on them.

We can also use technology to stay connected with them in a more accessible and convenient way (e.g. through video calls or voice messages on text-based platforms). If they are less tech savvy, we can spend time teaching them how to do so.

Read Less

Help them feel more included in the family

We could assist them in bonding with their grandchildren or younger relatives, such as their nieces and nephews.

Make plans to accompany or go outdoors with them

We can accompany our parents to their medical appointments to help them feel less alone.

We can also schedule some time to bring them out for a walk or to simply sit on a park bench with them. This gives us opportunities to connect and help them get some exercise to improve their general well-being and sleep.

If our parents have difficulties going out due to mobility issues, we can consider applying for the Seniors’ Mobility and Enabling Fund (SMF). SMF provides eligible seniors with subsidies for assistive devices (e.g. walking sticks, wheelchairs and pushchairs), as well as home healthcare items, and specialised transport. This may make it easier for them to go outdoors and connect with others in their community.

If it is difficult to meet with our parents due to distance, we can set up a visit schedule for other family members and friends to visit them.

Read Less

Keep them engaged with activities

We can help our parents plan a daily schedule to incorporate their favourite activities, interests, and hobbies into their daily routines.

For example, if they enjoy music, we can encourage them to join singing or music classes at the community centre or help them pre-set their favourite radio channels.

We could also encourage them to join community programmes such as Live Well, Age Well Programmes or to visit Active Ageing Centres, which allow them to participate in activities with peers from the same neighbourhood (e.g. exercise sessions or healthy living workshops). This can help them to ease loneliness by connecting with their peers and building a supportive network.

If they do not have any particular interests, we can consider adopting a pet. Caring for a pet can help alleviate their loneliness by providing companionship and reduce their stress, as studies have shown.

Read Less

Motivate them to volunteer for a charitable cause

Taking part in voluntary work allows our parents to give back to society and connect with others in the community. They may also gain a new meaning and purpose in life as they help others. If they feel nervous or afraid, we could volunteer together with them or accompany them for the first few sessions to help them ease in. Find out more about the various volunteer opportunities and experiences here.

Pick up a new skill or hobby

Learning something new, such as a skill or hobby not only keeps our parents’ brains active, but also allows them to meet and connect with new people who share similar interests. We can consider the following:

The National Silver Academy

This academy supports life-long learning by providing opportunities for seniors to continue learning and upskilling.

With a wide range of courses available to suit their interests and needs, they can meet like-minded peers, expand and strengthen their social networks, as well as reduce their difficulties connecting with other generations by interacting with people of different age groups.

The Seniors Go Digital programme

This programme teaches seniors how to use a smartphone for communication (e.g. phone calls, sending messages), leisure (e.g. watching videos), and services (e.g. making e-payments, scanning QR codes).

This can help them feel more connected to our increasingly digitalised society by enhancing their digital access and understanding. Available schemes are each tailored for varying levels of digital knowledge and income groups.

Read Less

Motivate them to sign up for befriending services

Befriending services aim to help improve the overall emotional and psychological well-being of seniors in the community. As part of this service, trained volunteers will visit our parents as a friend, providing some relief to their loneliness, isolation, or boredom. Through their interactions, befrienders may also identify ways to improve their day-to-day environment and provide the necessary assistance. Simply visit the Agency for Integrated Care (AIC) E-Care Locator or AIC’s webpage for more information.

Reach out to a healthcare professional for support

If we feel that our parent is not coping well with social isolation or loneliness, we can seek support and advice from mental health professionals here.

Show concern by listening and reassuring them

Show care by spending time with them regularly

Help them feel more included in the family

Make plans to accompany or go outdoors with them

Keep them engaged with activities

Motivate them to volunteer for a charitable cause

Pick up a new skill or hobby

Motivate them to sign up for befriending services

Reach out to a healthcare professional for support

Mental health services

Belle, Beyond the Label helpbot, is an interactive platform for users to find mental health resources and services in a private and convenient manner. If you or anyone you know is overwhelmed with stress or anxiety, you may find the help you need via Belle.

Get access to Belle

You may also visit here for more mental health resources or download the list of community mental health services including your nearest GP here.

Get access to Belle

You may also visit here for more mental health resources or download the list of community mental health services including your nearest GP here.

References

Nicholson Jr., N. R. (2009). Social isolation in older adults: an evolutionary concept analysis. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 65(6), 1342–1352. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2648.2008.04959.x
Merchant, R. A., Liu, S. G., Lim, J. Y., Fu, X., & Chan, Y. H. (2020). Factors associated with social isolation in community-dwelling older adults: a cross-sectional study. Quality of Life Research, 29(9), 2375–2381. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11136-020-02493-7
Coyle, C. E., & Dugan, E. (2012). Social Isolation, Loneliness and Health Among Older Adults. Journal of Aging and Health, 24(8), 1346–1363. https://doi.org/10.1177/0898264312460275
McLay, L., Jamieson, H. A., France, K. G., & Schluter, P. J. (2021). Loneliness and social isolation is associated with sleep problems among older community dwelling women and men with complex needs. Scientific reports, 11(1), 4877. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-83778-w
Smith, B. (2012). The “pet effect”: Health related aspects of companion animal ownership. Australian Family Physician, 41(6), 439–442. https://search.informit.org/doi/10.3316/informit.409523684517730

CONTRIBUTED BY

Health Promotion Board

MindSG

Experiencing social isolation

What is social isolation?

Common misconceptions:

Why do our parents experience it?

What increases the risk of social isolation?

How does social isolation affect our parents?

Signs of social isolation

How can we help our parents cope?

Show concern by listening and reassuring them

Show care by spending time with them regularly

Help them feel more included in the family

Make plans to accompany or go outdoors with them

Keep them engaged with activities

Motivate them to volunteer for a charitable cause

Pick up a new skill or hobby

Motivate them to sign up for befriending services

Reach out to a healthcare professional for support

Mental health services