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Alive Magazine interview with Heather Thompson, Director of Age-Friendly Initiatives at Community Development Halton and a member of the Older Adult Isolation Action Table.

Even before COVID, a Statistics Canada survey reported that as many as 1.4 million elderly Canadians reported feeling lonely. COVID has only exacerbated this issue. But increased isolation is just one of the challenges older adults have been facing – both pre- and mid-pandemic. 

Excerpts: (read the entire article online: alive.com/health/kind-is-beautiful)

“All of a sudden, their need and purpose for getting up in the morning is somewhat stalled,” says Heather Thompson, director of Age-Friendly Initiatives at Community Development Halton and a member of the Older Adult Isolation Action Table, which looks to increase connectedness for older adults in Halton who are at risk of social isolation.

A type of discrimination, ageism is another issue seniors are encountering. Throughout the pandemic, older adults have likely come across the sentiment that older people are going to die anyway. Thompson says seniors might internalize the idea they’re not as valuable once they’re over 65 or 70. In fact, Thompson often hears sentiments such as “I feel invisible, like my opinion doesn’t count,” “I’m not valued,” or “I’m not worthy of being loved” from older adults.

Read the entire article online: alive.com/health/kind-is-beautiful