Guest: For veterans, loneliness remains a health challenge without a cure
This weekend, we celebrate and recognize the lives of veterans who served and defended our country. From parades in small towns to military tributes in large stadiums, our community will come together to say thank you to those who risked their lives to protect our freedom.
It is a great responsibility to serve our country. It is also a great responsibility for citizens to serve our veterans.
We often hear about the needs of veterans and efforts made to provide support. Veteran services that often come to mind are health care, tuition, housing and disability compensation.
This Veterans Day, I ask you to consider another need facing many of our aging heroes — loneliness.
Isolation disproportionately impacts older adults. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly one-fourth of adults over the age of 65 are considered to be socially isolated. This is an overlooked public health epidemic that is seeing a spike in consequences among our generation — amplified by the effects of COVID-19.
Humans are social beings. We require interaction with one another to fully thrive physically, mentally and emotionally.
Unlike many of the other health challenges facing our older veterans, loneliness isn’t something that can be solved with a prescription or visit to the doctor. It takes intentional community.
Our organization, VillagesOKC, is a nonprofit that connects adults ages 55+ in the greater Oklahoma City metro area to valuable resources that empower them to remain independent and age gracefully. Making trusted friends and finding reliable resources in the community are hallmarks of our organization.
While our efforts are not limited to veterans, we have started programs focused on connecting isolated veterans. We’re joined in these efforts by numerous other organizations such as NewView Oklahoma, Oklahoma Warriors Honor Flights and Force50 Foundation.
As we celebrate Veterans Day, please take the time to think of the heroes in your life. A simple check-in, conversation or connection can go a long way in the lives of our aging veterans and neighbors.
Marilyn Olson is the Executive Director of VillagesOKC, a nonprofit whose volunteers who share vital connections, education and programming with its members to improve their quality of life.
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: How Oklahoma communities can help combat loneliness among veterans
