Rusty Strait | Senior Reporter

Why are so many people, or claim to be, alone and lonely? Not a day goes by that you don’t hear someone say, I’m so alone or lonely for some reason or other. With all your friends and close relatives, you have no idea what they are talking about. And yet, for some unknown reason, the fault lies with the individual. When you least expect it, you may become the victim yourself.

A close friend or favorite relative dies suddenly and a space in your heart is suddenly emptied without warning. All too often, mourning will move in and take over your very existence. You wonder if you will ever get over it. There will be a natural amount of grief, but you don’t have to make a lifetime career. When tragedy takes someone out of your close circle, look for a replacement. Maybe it is something temporary. It doesn’t matter because the sooner you start filling the empty space, the old “tenant” in your life will eventually become someone that “used to” be part of yourself. You ask, “What can I do? How do I go about finding a new occupant in my life? Occupy that space. Take up a hobby. Spend nights out at entertainment venues or local taverns. Spend some afternoons in the park, take a walk with your dog. No matter how shy you are, animals are great communicators.

There are other situations when you have similar feelings of loneliness. You had a childhood in which you were isolated and away from social activities. Although most won’t accept the fact, I’ve known high school graduates who were homeschooled and never had a social life. Strange as it may seem, some parents do all they can to prevent their offspring from having a life outside the family or their adult family friends. Anytime a youngster is isolated within a clannish family, you can bet something will pop up in the future that may chase them down a hole if that hasn’t already happened to them.

Many suicides are brought on because of lonesomeness. If you were never permitted to have personal friends as a child, you will most likely end up alone and lonely and you won’t even know why. One excellent way to get out of a dark and lonely hole is to seek professional help. First of all, you have to want to be “normal.” Do not be ashamed to seek help. Maybe it only involves something as simple as talking to someone you trust. When you share your burden, it might disappear quicker than you think.

Becoming alone and lonely is an emotional disease and emotions are all too often affected by fear. You fear loneliness and you fear the outside world. The only true blue was out of that dark corner is to want it. If you don’t want it, then you are not likely to change from clouds to sunshine in your life. If you don’t want to be alone and lonely, you can make an effort to find a brighter path, or you can simmer in misery that you don’t need. The first step is a step toward the freedom from sadness that you seek. Try it. It works Just sayin’

rustystrait@gmail.com

DISCLAIMER: The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by the various author’s articles on this Opinion piece or elsewhere online or in the newspaper where we have articles with the header “COLUMN/EDITORIAL & OPINION” do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints or official policies of the Publisher, Editor, Reporters or anybody else in the Staff of the Hemet and San Jacinto Chronicle Newspaper.

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The program began in March and will run through the fall of 2022.

Members who elected to participate were invited to download the Pyx App on their smart phones or tablets, which immediately connects to Pyx-ir, an interactive robot. Pyx-ir will regularly converse, ask wellness questions and connect Members to IEHP services and call centers, depending on need.

The program’s services rolled out to English and Spanish speaking Members who receive both Medicare and Medi-Cal benefits (Cal MediConnect Members), as well as Medi-Cal Members who are seniors with a disability or have been identified as unable to leave their homes and are at a greater risk for loneliness.

“Isolation and stay-at-home orders have tremendously impacted these populations in the last two years,” said Anna Edwards, IEHP’s Care Management Clinical Director. “Our partnership with Pyx Health will extend care beyond the health plan’s usual business hours and truly meet the Members where they are.”

For continuity of care, Pyx Health will provide the health plan with comprehensive reports based on Member screenings to connect Members with additional resources at the plan level. If needed, Members will also have the option to connect with Pyx Health’s Compassionate Call Center representatives who will be able to route information and reports to IEHP’s Care Management Team.

“In addition to usual health plan services, we believe our partnership with Pyx Health will provide Members a unique aspect of personalized care,” said Dr. Takashi Wada, IEHP’s Chief Medical Officer. “We’re eager to learn how this pilot program and type of service can engage Members in their own health and how it will positively impact their overall wellness.”

About IEHP

With a mission to heal and inspire the human spirit, Inland Empire Health Plan (IEHP) is one of the top 10 largest Medicaid health plans and the largest not-for-profit Medicare-Medicaid plan in the country. In its 25th year, IEHP is supporting nearly 1.5 million residents in Riverside and San Bernardino counties who are enrolled in Medicaid or Cal MediConnect Plans and has a growing network of over 7,500 providers and nearly 2,500 Team Members. Through dynamic partnerships with Providers and Community Organizations, paired with award-winning service and a tradition of quality care, IEHP is fully committed to their vision: We will not rest until our communities enjoy optimal care and vibrant health. For more information, visit iehp.org.

Inland Empire Health Plan (IEHP) | Contributed

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The program began in March and will run through the fall of 2022.

Members who elected to participate were invited to download the Pyx App on their smart phones or tablets, which immediately connects to Pyx-ir, an interactive robot. Pyx-ir will regularly converse, ask wellness questions and connect Members to IEHP services and call centers, depending on need.

The program’s services rolled out to English and Spanish speaking Members who receive both Medicare and Medi-Cal benefits (Cal MediConnect Members), as well as Medi-Cal Members who are seniors with a disability or have been identified as unable to leave their homes and are at a greater risk for loneliness.  

“Isolation and stay-at-home orders have tremendously impacted these populations in the last two years,” said Anna Edwards, IEHP’s Care Management Clinical Director. “Our partnership with Pyx Health will extend care beyond the health plan’s usual business hours and truly meet the Members where they are.”

For continuity of care, Pyx Health will provide the health plan with comprehensive reports based on Member screenings to connect Members with additional resources at the plan level. If needed, Members will also have the option to connect with Pyx Health’s Compassionate Call Center representatives who will be able to route information and reports to IEHP’s Care Management Team.

“In addition to usual health plan services, we believe our partnership with Pyx Health will provide Members a unique aspect of personalized care,” said Dr. Takashi Wada, IEHP’s Chief Medical Officer. “We’re eager to learn how this pilot program and type of service can engage Members in their own health and how it will positively impact their overall wellness.”

About IEHP
With a mission to heal and inspire the human spirit, Inland Empire Health Plan (IEHP) is one of the top 10 largest Medicaid health plans and the largest not-for-profit Medicare-Medicaid plan in the country. In its 25^th year, IEHP is supporting nearly 1.5 million residents in Riverside and San Bernardino counties who are enrolled in Medicaid or Cal MediConnect Plans and has a growing network of over 7,500 providers and nearly 2,500 Team Members. Through dynamic partnerships with Providers and Community Organizations, paired with award-winning service and a tradition of quality care, IEHP is fully committed to their vision: We will not rest until our communities enjoy optimal care and vibrant health.  For more information, visit iehp.org.

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Since it launched in 2000, the Robert N. Butler-Jack Rosenthal Age Boom Academy has trained over 200 journalists about the complex health, social, and economic issues facing our aging population. The Age Boom Academy, whose name is inspired by the growing numbers of older adults globally, is a signature program of the Columbia Aging Center at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, in partnership with the Columbia Journalism School​.

This summer, nearly 40 journalists from across the country joined in the four-day online program of lectures, panel discussions, and story clinics on the epidemic of loneliness among older adults and strategies to combat it. Participating journalists, known as Age Boom fellows, heard from researchers, clinicians, policy, healthcare and insurance leaders, and seasoned reporters. Major support for the program was provided by the RRF Foundation for Aging with additional funding from the AARP Foundation. The full 2021 Age Boom program entitled “Combating Loneliness in Aging: Toward a 21st Century Blueprint for Societal Connectedness” is available to watch online.

In opening remarks, Dean Linda P. Fried, a renowned gerontologist who directs the Columbia Aging Center, defined loneliness as “a subjective painful feeling of being isolated and not having our needs for connection met—something we are biologically wired to experience.” She continued: “It is akin to what happens when we feel hunger, which tells us we need food. Similarly, loneliness is painful and tells us we need more connection. This pro-social drive has always been essential to people’s survival and communities thriving.”

Research shows that rates of older adult loneliness in the United States more than doubled between 1970 and 2010. Social isolation and ageism evident during the COVID-19 pandemic only exacerbated the problem. According to Fried, the epidemic of loneliness may contribute to a parallel rise in so-called diseases of despair, behavior-related health conditions that stem from a sense of declining social and economic prospects, and could also factor in the spread of online extremism.

Even though loneliness is known to stem from a lack of social connections and meaning, it is still often misunderstood as a problem to be addressed one individual at a time. In fact, loneliness is a collective problem and demands collective solutions. To address loneliness at scale, Dean Fried argued that society must promote connections between older people by building social infrastructure in our environments and institutions, as well as job and volunteer opportunities that bring people together, including intergenerational connections between younger and older age groups. “The ability of older and younger adults to contribute to society is a strong counter to loneliness and contributes to mental and physical health while strengthening society,” she said.

Charles Branas, chair of the Columbia Mailman Department of Epidemiology, spoke about how changes to the physical environment can make a big difference for community health and well-being. Examples include new light rail stops in Charlotte which were shown to reduce levels of excess weight by encouraging physical activity; and fixing abandoned houses in New Orleans and greening vacant lots in Philadelphia, both of which led to reductions in violence.

According to Branas, other opportunities can be found to encourage older adults to get out of their homes and engage with their communities. In New York City, aging-friendly urban designers have added benches and longer crosswalk times. While the bulk of the national health dollar goes toward developing medical treatments, a better return on investment is possible by developing new “treatments” for places and spaces. “The places that surround us every day, all the time are vital to our health and well-being,” he said.

While Age Boom fellows spent most of their time during the training learning from experts, they also got to meet a dozen older adult members of the Bloomingdale Aging in Place community to hear about their personal experiences of how they overcome loneliness and thrive under the umbrella of this novel community model to keep older neighbors connected. This all-volunteer, intergenerational network of neighbors builds community by organizing hundreds of social and physical activities each year. Neighbors also share information and extend a helping hand to one another as they age at home in their Upper West Side community.

Reflecting on her Age Boom experience, Lauren J. Mapp, a reporter at The San Diego Union-Tribune, said she enjoyed the chance to participate and found it valuable to her reporting. “Between hearing from expert researchers and connecting with other reporters and editors, it has been an amazing experience which I would recommend to any reporter—especially someone like me on a regional aging beat where I deepened my understanding of the interplay of issues around health, economics, and aging,” she said.

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