Medical Xpress July 8, 2025
An innovative partnership between a health system and local congregations in neighborhoods with high need that provides individual companionship to older adults has found significant reductions in loneliness and a corresponding reduction in emergency department visits.
Social isolation and loneliness are recognized as risk factors for poor health outcomes, especially in older adults, including increased rates of chronic illness, mental health challenges and premature mortality. These issues are more prevalent among individuals living in under-resourced communities, where barriers to transportation, health care access and social support are common.
Following participation in the successful relationship building program, the proportion of patients with one or more emergency department visits declined from nearly 25% to less than 17%. Outpatient visits increased from nearly...
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