Recently I became aware of the UnLonely Project from the Foundation for Art and Healing, which is intended to:
- raise awareness of loneliness as a significant health problem and promote artistic expression as an approach to alleviate it.
- offer tools, resources and programs to reduce loneliness through creative approaches
- stimulate further research into how loneliness can be reduced
While this initiative is not specifically targeted towards seniors, this is an issue that especially affects this population. It is especially poignant to explore the Second Annual UnLonely Interactive Filmfest which offers many short films which can be streamed free, all focused on how loneliness affects us. (You can also filter the films by topic, so you can pick ‘older adults’ to view shorts about seniors.)
Many of these films are difficult to watch. Especially sad is Bonnie and Mark (9:48) which describes how a seemingly perfect relationship suddenly faces a major challenge soon after the couple marries. Try to view Changing Batteries (5:33) without tearing up at the end.
There’s no easy answer to this problem, but you can take this small action recommended in the final paragraph of this recent article by Next Avenue: “This week, find at least one older adult in your midst and take a little time to learn more about him or her. ” You might be helping that person so much more than you realize.