Positive Approaches Journal, Volume 12, Issue 4

Volume 12 ► Issue 4 ► February 2024

Pennsylvania Department of Aging Offers Services and Supports to Combat Social Isolation and Build Community Connection for Older Pennsylvanians

Jack Eilber, Karen Gray and Katrina Kyle

Strong social supports and connection to community resources can have a powerfully positive effect on health and well-being as we age. Combatting social isolation is a top priority for the Pennsylvania Department of Aging, due to the negative impact that it can have on the overall health and emotional well-being of the Commonwealth’s rapidly growing older population of 3.4 million people aged 60 and older. Social isolation is associated with a lower use of healthcare and an increased risk of depression, loneliness, lack of self-care, and mortality. While there are many definitions of social isolation, in essence, it is a lack of meaningful social connections. For older adults, the type and number of connections shift with changing social roles, increasing the risk of isolation. As we age, we are more likely to face life events that reduce connection with others: loss of spouse, partner, or other family and friends, loss of workplace interaction, decreased mobility and access to transportation, chronic illness, and loss of faculties such as hearing or vision.

Though a lack of social connections and life events can contribute to social isolation, geography can also be a factor. On average, rural Pennsylvania residents are older than their urban counterparts. In 2020, 20% of the rural population was 65 years old and older compared to 18% of the urban population.ⁱ The proportion of Pennsylvania’s older adult population in rural areas has been steadily increasing and outpacing the proportion living in urban communities. It is considered that older adults in rural locations would be the most socially isolated as they face many different challenges than those in urban areas. Some of these challenges are reduced access to healthcare, transportation, technology, and community supports.

The Pennsylvania Council on Aging (PCoA) – made up of 16 members with the majority of whom are required to be age 60 and older – conducted a statewide survey of older adults in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, which helped the Department of Aging highlight the devastating effects of social isolation on older adults. The survey was open to any Pennsylvanian over the age of 60 and was available in English and Spanish. The council received more than 3,700 responses from across the Commonwealth. The survey questions touched on situations such as, “how often the older adult was communicating with people outside of their home”, “whether they were happy with the amount of communication they had”, “what their current living situation was”, “how they were getting food” (going to grocery store, curbside pickup, meal delivery, etc.), and “what reasons they had for leaving their home” (grocery shopping, pharmacy, bank, etc.).

With input from PCoA and other aging network stakeholders, the Department of Aging offers a variety of programs and supports for older adults to help them live happy, healthy lives and with the dignity and respect that they deserve. Pennsylvanians can learn about these offerings by visiting the Department of Aging’s Website. The 52 local Area Agencies on Aging (AAAs) represent all 67 counties of the Commonwealth and are the local authorities for aging services in each county. The AAAs are staffed with skilled workers who can provide information about services and navigate how older adults can go about receiving those services.

The AAAs also support close to 500 Senior Community Centers across the Commonwealth. Senior Centers are great places for older adults to connect and engage with one another and their community. Each center provides nutritious meals, social engagement, enrichment and education programs, creative arts, health and wellness programs, and other special events unique to individual centers. These centers are often a real lifeline to social connections for older adults.

Volunteering time and talent and getting out into the neighborhood can be a great source of social connection for older adults. Aside from helping others and improving their community, volunteers also receive personal benefits. People who volunteer tend to live longer more vigorous lives, with greater functional ability and lower rates of depression than those who don't. By giving of their time, older adults may discover skill sets they did not know they had. The outcome can truly benefit everyone involved.

There are a variety of organizations that could use volunteers, including the Department of Aging. The department has multiple opportunities that include serving as a volunteer ombudsman to help ensure that residents of long-term care are getting the supports they need and deserve; helping with meals at local senior community centers, and training to counsel older adults trying to select the right Medicare coverage for themselves through Pennsylvania Medicare Education and Decision Insight (PA MEDI). Learn more about volunteer opportunities by calling your local Area Agency on Aging, or by visiting The Pennsylvania Department of Aging.

Social isolation can be the cause or contribute to the need for mental and behavioral health supports. The Department of Aging is committed to extending its reach of current community-based aging services by offering programming that addresses behavioral health among older adults. Pennsylvania became the first state to independently train and administer Healthy IDEAS (Identify Depressions and Empowering Activities for Seniors), an evidence-based depression self-management program.

Healthy IDEAS brings together the aging network and the behavioral health community to achieve significant benefits for older adults and their families who may be dealing with depression. The Healthy IDEAS program is integrated into the AAAs’ existing aging services. It is conducted by trained staff either in-person in an older adult’s home, or by telephone or video chat, over a three-to six-month period. The AAAs partner with local health and mental health care providers to facilitate referrals.

There are currently 20 Area Agencies on Aging that offer the Healthy IDEAS Program:

The PA Link to Aging and Disability Resource Centers, also known as the PA Link, assists older adults and individuals with disabilities by providing information and connecting them to supports, including assistive technology to access telehealth services, check-in calls, and options to help reduce social isolation. Any older adult needing support can contact the PA Link Call Center by phone at 1-800-753-8827 or online at PA Link to Community Care.

Many of the programs and services to protect older adults from social isolation and depression will play a role in building on long-term goals in the Department of Aging’s master plan, Aging Our Way, PA. The plan is a ten-year, state-led, and stakeholder-driven strategic plan designed to help transform the infrastructure and coordination of services for older Pennsylvanians. The plan will also reflect the needs and preferences of this population to live where they choose and access supports they need to thrive and age in place. One of the action steps in the plan to help combat social isolation is encouraging state and local agencies who serve older adults to use validated tools to measure loneliness and social isolation. These tools will help provide direction on interventions to connect those at risk with opportunities for social connection and engagement.

The Pennsylvania Department of Aging’s mission is to promote independence, purpose, and well-being in the lives of older adults through advocacy, service, and protection, while creating a commonwealth where older adults are embraced and empowered to live and age with dignity and respect. The Department oversees an array of services and support programs that are administered through its network of 52 local Area Agencies on Aging. Pennsylvanians can learn more about the Department of Aging by visiting The Pennsylvania Department of Aging.