Somerset Lodge Care Centre

With our freedom of movement severely limited it's normal to feel frustrated and anxious about the spread of the coronavirus and being stuck at home.

We wish all our followers and patrons good health as we progress together through this difficult time.

Please see below a list of emergency numbers.

For more information, please visit our website
www.somersetcarecentre.co.za
Or call us on: Tel:+27 31 940 1601 / 31 534 9033

Some of our units:
For more information, please visit our website
www.somersetcarecentre.co.za
Or call us on: Tel:+27 31 940 1601 / 31 534 9033

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Somerset Lodge Care Centre

What is respite care?
Respite care provides temporary relief for a primary caregiver, enabling you to take a much-needed break from the demands of caregiving a sick, aging, or disabled family member. Respite care can take place in your own home, at day-care centers, or at residential or nursing facilities that offer overnight stays. Whether it’s for just a few hours a week or an extended vacation, seeking respite care can help ease the burden of family caregiving and help to relieve stress, restore your energy, and promote balance in your life. It can also prevent you from becoming exhausted, isolated, or even burned out. Respite care can benefit the person you’re caring for, too, providing them with variety, stimulation, and a welcome change of routine.

For more information, please visit our website
www.somersetcarecentre.co.za
Or call us on: Tel:+27 31 940 1601 / 31 534 9033

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What is family caregiving?

Regardless of your particular circumstances, being a family caregiver is a challenging role and likely one that you haven’t been trained to undertake.
And like many family caregivers, you probably never anticipated this situation. However, you don’t have to be a nursing expert, a superhero, or a saint in order to be a good family caregiver. With the right help and support, you can be an effective, loving caregiver without having to sacrifice yourself in the process.
And that can make family caregiving a more rewarding experience—for both you and your loved one. These tips can help you get the support you need while caring for someone you love in way that can benefit both of you.

Learn as much as you can about your family member’s illness or disability and how to care for it. The more you know, the less anxiety you’ll feel about your new role and the more effective you’ll be.

Seek out other caregivers. It helps to know you’re not alone. It’s comforting to give and receive support from others who understand exactly what you’re going through.

Trust your instincts. Remember, you know your family member best. Don’t ignore what doctors and specialists tell you, but listen to your gut, too.

Encourage your loved one’s independence. Caregiving does not mean doing everything for your loved one. Be open to technologies and strategies that allow your family member to remain as independent as possible.

Know your limits. Be realistic about how much of your time and yourself you can give. Set clear limits, and communicate those limits to doctors, family members, and other people involved.

For more information, please visit our website
www.somersetcarecentre.co.za
Or call us on: Tel:+27 31 940 1601 / 31 534 9033

What is family caregiving?
As life expectancies increase, medical treatments advance, and increasing numbers of people live with chronic illness and disabilities, more and more of us find ourselves caring for a loved one at home. Whether you’re taking care of an aging parent, a handicapped spouse, or looking after a child with a physical or mental illness, providing care for a family member in need is an act of kindness, love, and loyalty. Day after day, you gift your loved one with your care and attention, improving their quality of life, even if they’re unable to express their gratitude.

For more information, please visit our website
www.somersetcarecentre.co.za
Or call us on: Tel:+27 31 940 1601 / 31 534 9033

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Connect regularly with friends and family. Spend time with people you enjoy and who make you feel upbeat. It may be a neighbor who you like to exercise with, a lunch date with an old friend, shopping with your children, or playing with your grandkids. Even if you are not close by, call or email frequently to keep relationships fresh.

For more information, please visit our website
www.somersetcarecentre.co.za
Or call us on: Tel:+27 31 940 1601 / 31 534 9033

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Eat well.

As you age, your relationship to food may change along with your body. A decreased metabolism, changes in taste and smell, and slower digestion may affect your appetite, the foods you can eat, and how your body processes food. But now, more than ever, healthy eating is important to maintain your energy and health. Avoiding sugary foods and refined carbs and loading up on high-fiber fruits, vegetables, and whole grains instead will help you feel more energetic, while eating with others is a great way to stay in touch with friends.

For more information, please visit our website
www.somersetcarecentre.co.za
Or call us on: Tel:+27 31 940 1601 / 31 534 9033

Get active
As with the other muscles in your body, your heart will get stronger when you exercise regularly. That means your heart will be able to pump blood around your body more efficiently. Regular aerobic activity can also help improve your cholesterol levels.

If you have been diagnosed with heart disease or another serious health problem, consult your doctor before starting an exercise program. Otherwise, to reap the heart and brain benefits of exercise, aim for:

At least 150 minutes (2.5 hours) of moderate-intensity aerobic activity per week, such as walking briskly. That’s 30 minutes a day for five days a week, broken down into 10- or 15-minute bursts if that’s easier. Moderate intensity means that you’re able to speak in full sentences as you move, but not sing.
Or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic exercise per week will deliver similar benefits if your fitness level allows you to work out harder. That means running for 15 minutes on five days each week instead of walking briskly for 30 minutes. Vigorous intensity means that you are too breathless to speak in full sentences as you move.
Making the exercise habit stick
Despite our best intentions, many of us struggle ditching our sedentary lifestyle. But there are steps you can take to make exercise less intimidating and more fun.

Start small and build momentum. If exercising for 30 minutes a day, 5 times a week sounds overwhelming, set a smaller goal and gradually build up as you gain self-confidence and momentum.

Reward yourself. Once it becomes a regular habit, exercise will reward you with more energy, better sleep, a greater sense of well-being, and improved cardiovascular health. When you’re starting out, though, give yourself a simple reward for successfully completing a workout, such as having a hot bath or a favorite cup of coffee.

Choose activities you enjoy. You’re more likely to stick with a workout you find pleasurable. If you hate running but like yoga or dancing, for example, don’t force yourself onto the treadmill every day. Pick activities that fit your lifestyle, abilities, and taste.

For more information, please visit our website
www.somersetcarecentre.co.za
Or call us on: el:+27 31 940 1601 / 31 534 9033

The keys to healthy aging:
Coping with change is difficult, no matter how old you are. The particular challenge for older adults is the sheer number of changes and transitions that start to occur—including children moving away, the loss of parents, friends, and other loved ones, changes to or the end of your career, declining health, and even loss of independence. It’s natural to feel those losses. But if that sense of loss is balanced with positive ingredients, you have a formula for staying healthy as you age.

Healthy aging means continually reinventing yourself as you pass through landmark ages such as 60, 70, 80 and beyond. It means finding new things you enjoy, learning to adapt to change, staying physically and socially active, and feeling connected to your community and loved ones. Unfortunately, for many of us, aging also brings anxiety and fear. How will I take care of myself late in life? What if I lose my spouse? What is going to happen to my mind? However, many of these fears often stem from popular misconceptions about aging. The truth is that you are stronger and more resilient than you may realize. These tips can help you maintain your physical and emotional health, whatever your age or circumstances.

Aging well tip 1:
Learn to cope with change
As you age, there will be periods of both joy and stress. It’s important to build your resilience and find healthy ways to cope with challenges. This ability will help you make the most of the good times and keep your perspective when times are tough.

Follow this series of articles as we review
how you can cope with what all of us are
eventually going to have to face in life.

For more information, please visit our website
www.somersetcarecentre.co.za
Or call us on: el:+27 31 940 1601 / 31 534 9033

As grandparents, we usually have the benefit of interacting with our grandkids on a level that is once removed from the day-to-day responsibilities of parents. For many of us, grandparenting means a weekend together every now and then, an afternoon play date, an evening babysitting, a summer vacation, or chats on the phone and email exchanges here and there. But when life circumstances change—through divorce, the death of parents, or changes to a parent’s work or school-related responsibilities, for example—it often falls to grandparents to assume full- or part-time responsibility for their grandchildren.

Also known as “kinship care,” a growing number of grandparents are now taking on the parenting role for their grandchildren, thus foregoing the traditional grandparent/grandchild relationship. This often means giving up your leisure time, the option of traveling, and many other aspects of your independence. Instead, you once again take on responsibility for the day-to-day maintenance of a home, schedules, meals, homework, and play dates. And if it was tragic circumstances that required you to step into the role of a parent, you’ll face many other stress factors, such as coping with your own and your grandchildren’s grief.

But raising your grandchildren, while challenging, can also be incredibly rewarding. Yes, you may have to deal with colicky babies or moody teenagers, but you’ll also experience a much greater connection to your grandchild’s world, including their school and leisure activities. You may also find yourself rolling back the years, rejuvenated by the constant companionship of much younger people. And you can derive immense satisfaction from providing your grandchildren with a safe, nurturing, and structured home environment in which to grow and feel loved.

For more information, please visit our website
www.somersetcarecentre.co.za
Or call us on: el:+27 31 940 1601 / 31 534 9033

How to Improve Your Memory
Whether you’re looking to sharpen your mind, boost your mental performance, or preserve your memory as you age, these tips can help.

Give your brain a workout
By the time you’ve reached adulthood, your brain has developed millions of neural pathways that help you process and recall information quickly, solve familiar problems, and execute habitual tasks with a minimum of mental effort. But if you always stick to these well-worn paths, you aren’t giving your brain the stimulation it needs to keep growing and developing. You have to shake things up from time to time!

Memory, like muscular strength, requires you to “use it or lose it.” The more you work out your brain, the better you’ll be able to process and remember information. But not all activities are equal. The best brain exercises break your routine and challenge you to use and develop new brain pathways.

Four key elements of a good brain-boosting activity
It teaches you something new. No matter how intellectually demanding the activity, if it’s something you’re already good at, it’s not a good brain exercise. The activity needs to be something that’s unfamiliar and out of your comfort zone. To strengthen the brain, you need to keep learning and developing new skills.

Communicate with your partner
As bodies and feelings change as you grow older, it’s more important than ever to communicate your thoughts, fears, and desires with your partner. Encourage your partner to communicate fully with you, too. Speaking openly about s*x may not come easily to you, but improving your communication will help both of you feel closer, and can make s*x more pleasurable.

Broaching the subject of s*x can be difficult for some people, but it should get easier once you begin. And as an added bonus, you may find that just talking about s*x can make you feel s*xy. Try the following strategies as you begin the conversation.

Be playful. Being playful can make communication about s*x a lot easier. Use humor, gentle teasing, and even tickling to lighten the mood.

Be honest. Honesty fosters trust and relaxes both partners—and can be very attractive. Let your partner know how you are feeling and what you hope for in a s*x life.

Discuss new ideas. If you want to try something new, discuss it with your partner, and be open to his or her ideas, too. The senior years—with more time and fewer distractions—can be a time of creativity and passion.

Modernize. You may belong to a generation in which s*x was a taboo subject. But talking openly about your needs, desires, and concerns with your partner can make you closer—and help you both enjoy s*x and intimacy.

For more information please call us on: Tel:+27 31 940 1601 / 31 534 9033

Or visit our website:
https://www.somersetcarecentre.co.za/

How simple policy changes can help us age better and prevent cognitive decline;
Many people experience a decline in cognitive function with age, such as a worsening memory and trouble processing information. In most cases, this is perfectly normal. In some cases, however, age-related cognitive decline may affect a person’s ability to carry out complex tasks, such as managing finances or preparing a meal. At times, it may even make it difficult for a person to perform daily tasks, such as dressing and feeding.

While prospects such as new drugs that protect against cognitive ageing are exciting, research shows that many simple policy changes can also promote social and emotional well-being – which may be just as important for maintaining brain function in later life. Even in the face of declining physical ability, programmes that provide long-term care at home may be critical for maintaining cognitive function and leading a meaningful life at older age.

Anger and aggression
While creating a calm environment can have a large impact on managing the stress that often triggers aggressive behavior, there are also things you can do during an angry outburst.

Don’t confront the person or try to discuss the angry behavior. Remember: the person with dementia cannot reflect on unacceptable behavior and cannot learn to control it.

Do not initiate physical contact during the outburst. This may trigger physical violence.

Let the person play out the aggression. Give them space to be angry alone. Just be sure that both of you are safe.

Distract the person to a more pleasurable activity.

Look for patterns in the aggression. Consider factors such as privacy, independence, boredom, pain, or fatigue. Avoid activities or topics that anger your loved one.

Get help from others during the activities that anger the patient (and can’t be avoided).

Don’t take the aggressiveness personally. It, too, is just part of the dementia.

Find meaning and joy.
It’s important to find ways to reach out and connect to others, regardless of whether or not you live with a spouse or partner. Along with regular exercise, staying social can have the most impact on your health as you age. Having an array of people you can turn to for company and support as you age is a buffer against loneliness, depression, disability, hardship, and loss.

For more information, please contact us on:
Tel:+27 31 940 1601 / 31 534 9033
or visit our website:
https://www.somersetcarecentre.co.za/

What else can cause Alzheimer’s symptoms?
While significant cognitive and memory loss are NOT symptoms of normal aging, these symptoms do not always indicate Alzheimer’s disease. Other conditions can mimic early Alzheimer’s symptoms, such as:

Central nervous system and other degenerative disorders, including head injuries, brain tumors, stroke, epilepsy, Pick’s Disease, Parkinson’s disease, Huntington’s disease.

Metabolic ailments, such as hypothyroidism, hypoglycemia, malnutrition, vitamin deficiencies, dehydration, kidney or liver failure.

Substance-induced conditions, such as drug interactions, medication side-effects, alcohol and drug abuse.

Psychological factors, such as dementia syndrome, depression, emotional trauma, chronic stress, psychosis, chronic sleep deprivation, delirium.

Infections, such as meningitis, encephalitis, and syphilis.

For more information please call us on: Tel:+27 31 940 1601 / 31 534 9033

Or visit our website:
https://www.somersetcarecentre.co.za/

Find meaning and joy:
Pick up a long-neglected hobby or try a new hobby. Taking a class or joining a club or sports team is a great way to pursue a hobby and expand your social network at the same time.

Learn something new, such as an instrument, a foreign language, a new game, or a new sport. Learning new activities not only adds meaning and joy to life, but can also help to maintain your brain health and prevent mental decline.

Get involved in your community. Try attending a local event or volunteering for a cause that’s important to you. The meaning and purpose you find in helping others will enrich and expand your life. Community work can also be a great way of utilizing and passing on the skills you honed in your career—without the commitment or stress of regular employment.

Travel somewhere new or go on a weekend trip to a place you’ve never visited.

For more information, please call us on:
Tel:+27 31 940 1601 / 31 534 9033 or vist our website:

Causes of depression in older adults
As we grow older, we often face significant life changes that can increase the risk for depression. These can include:

Health problems. Illness and disability, chronic or severe pain, cognitive decline, damage to your body image due to surgery or sickness can all be contributors to depression.

Loneliness and isolation. Factors such as living alone, a dwindling social circle due to deaths or relocation, decreased mobility due to illness or a loss of driving privileges can trigger depression.

Reduced sense of purpose. Retirement can bring with it a loss of identity, status, self-confidence, and financial security and increase the risk of depression. Physical limitations on activities you used to enjoy can also impact your sense of purpose.

Fears. These include a fear of death or dying as well as anxiety over financial problems or health issues.

Recent bereavements. The death of friends, family members, and pets, or the loss of a spouse or partner are common causes of depression in older adults.

For more information please call us on: Tel:+27 31 940 1601 / 31 534 9033

Or visit our website:
https://www.somersetcarecentre.co.za/

Learn to cope with change:
A key ingredient in the recipe for healthy aging is the continuing ability to find meaning and joy in life. As you age, your life will change and you will gradually lose things that previously occupied your time and gave your life purpose. For example, your job may change, you may eventually retire from your career, your children may leave home, or other friends and family may move far away. But this is not a time to stop moving forward. Later life can be a time of exciting new adventures if you let it.
For more information please visit our website: www.somersetcarecentre.co.za or call us directly on:
Tel:+27 31 940 1601 / 31 534 9033

Feeding your body and mind as you age:
Healthy eating is important at any age, but becomes even more so as we reach midlife and beyond. As you age, eating a healthy diet can help to improve mental acuteness, boost your energy levels, and increase your resistance to illness. Eating well can also be the key to a positive outlook and staying emotionally balanced. But healthy eating doesn’t have to be about dieting and sacrifice. Rather, it should be all about enjoying fresh, tasty food, wholesome ingredients, and eating in the company of friends and family.

No matter your age or your previous eating habits, it’s never too late to change your diet and improve the way you think and feel. Improving your diet now can help you:

Live longer and stronger. Good nutrition can boost immunity, fight illness-causing toxins, keep weight in check, and reduce the risk of heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, type-2 diabetes, bone loss, and cancer. Along with physical activity, a balanced diet can also contribute to enhanced independence as you age.

For more information please visit our website www.somersetcarecentre.co.za

The emotional effects of a serious illness or injury
A serious health problem can disrupt all aspects of your life, whether it’s a chronic or life-threatening illness, such as cancer, or a major health event such as a stroke, heart attack, or debilitating injury.

Many serious health problems seem to develop unexpectedly, upsetting your life out of the blue. You may feel overwhelmed by waves of difficult emotions—from fear and worry to profound sadness, despair, and grief—or just numb, frozen by shock or the feeling that you’ll never be able to cope. The emotional upheaval can make it difficult to function or think straight, and even lead to mood disorders such as anxiety and depression.

But whatever your diagnosis or emotional response, it’s important to know that you’re not powerless. There are steps you can take to better cope with your new situation, ease the stress and mental anguish that often accompany serious illness, and find a way to navigate this challenging new journey.

When to see a doctor for memory loss.
Your doctor can assess your personal risk factors, evaluate your symptoms, eliminate reversible causes of memory loss, and help you obtain appropriate care. Early diagnosis can treat reversible causes of memory loss, lessen decline in vascular dementia, or improve the quality of life in Alzheimer’s or other types of dementia.

What to expect at your doctor’s visit
The doctor will ask you a lot of question about your memory, including:

how long you or others have noticed a problem with your memory
what kinds of things have been difficult to remember
whether the difficulty came on gradually or suddenly
whether you’re having trouble doing ordinary things
The doctor also will want to know what medications you’re taking, how you’ve been eating and sleeping, whether you’ve been depressed or stressed lately, and other questions about what’s been happening in your life. Chances are the doctor will also ask you or your partner to keep track of your symptoms and check back in a few months. If your memory problem needs more evaluation, your doctor may send you to a neuropsychologist.
Authors: Melinda Smith, M.A., Lawrence Robinson, and Robert Segal, M.A. Last

For more please visit our website: www.somersetcarecentre.co.za or call our reception:
Tel:+27 31 940 1601 / 31 534 9033

The challenges and rewards of Alzheimer’s care
Develop a personal support plan:
Talk to someone.Talk to a trusted friend, family member, clergy member, or therapist, about what you’re going through. The simple act of talking face-to-face with someone who cares can be extremely cathartic—and a great stress reliever.

Authors: Lawrence Robinson, Melissa S. Wayne, M.A., and Jeanne Segal, Ph.D.

What are the benefits of exercise for older adults?
There are many reasons why we tend to slow down and become more sedentary with age. It may be due to health problems, weight or pain issues, or worries about falling. Or perhaps you think that exercising simply isn’t for you. But as you grow older, an active lifestyle becomes more important than ever to your health.

A recent Swedish study found that physical activity was the number one contributor to longevity, adding extra years to your life—even if you don’t start exercising until your senior years. But getting active is not just about adding years to your life, it’s about adding life to your years.

Getting moving can help boost your energy, maintain your independence, protect your heart, and manage symptoms of illness or pain as well as your weight. Regular exercise is also good for your mind, mood, and memory.

For more information, please visit our website: www.somersetcarecentre.co.za or call us on: Tel:+27 31 940 1601 / 31 534 9033

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Accept and celebrate who you are
S*x in later life may not be the same as it was in your youth—but that doesn’t have to be a bad thing. In fact, s*x can be more enjoyable than ever. As you find yourself embracing your older identity, you can:

Reap the benefits of experience. The independence and self-confidence that comes with age can be very attractive to your spouse or potential partners. No matter your gender, you may feel better about your body at 62 or 72 than you did at 22. And it is likely that you now know more about yourself and what makes you excited and happy. Your experience and self-possession can make your s*x life exciting for you and your partner.

Look ahead. As you age, try to let go of expectations for your s*x life. Do your best to avoid dwelling on how things are different. If you enjoyed an active s*x life in your younger years, there’s no reason to slow down with age, unless you want to. A positive attitude and open mind can go a long way toward improving your s*x life as you age.

Love and appreciate your older self. Naturally, your body is going through changes as you age. You look and feel differently than you did when you were younger. But if you can accept these changes as natural and hold your head up high, you’ll not only feel better, you’ll also be more attractive to others. Confidence and honesty garner the respect of others—and can be s*xy and appealing.

Staying healthy through humor, laughter, and play
Laughter is strong medicine for both the body and the mind. It helps you stay balanced, energetic, joyful, and healthy at any age. A sense of humor helps you get through tough times, look outside yourself, laugh at the absurdities of life, and transcend difficulties.
Authors: Melinda Smith, M.A., Jeanne Segal, Ph.D., and Monika White, Ph.D. Last updated: November 2019.

Get active and boost vitality
Don’t fall for the myth that growing older automatically means you’re not going to feel good anymore. It is true that aging involves physical changes, but it doesn’t have to mean discomfort and disability. While not all illness or pain is avoidable, many of the physical challenges associated with aging can be overcome or drastically mitigated by exercising, eating right, and taking care of yourself.

And it’s never too late to start! No matter how old you are or how unhealthy you’ve been in the past, caring for your body has enormous benefits that will help you stay active, sharpen your memory, boost your immune system, manage health problems, and increase your energy. In fact, adults who take up exercise later in life, for example, often show greater physical and mental improvements than their younger counterparts—because they aren’t encumbered by the same sports injuries that many regular exercisers experience as they age. Similarly, many older adults report feeling better than ever because they are making more of an effort to be healthy than they did when they were younger.

Exercise. A recent Swedish study found that exercise is the number one contributor to longevity, adding extra years to your life—even if you don’t start exercising until your senior years. But it’s not just about adding years to your life, it’s about adding life to your years. Exercise helps you maintain your strength and agility, increases vitality, improves sleep, gives your mental health a boost, and can even help diminish chronic pain. Exercise can also have a profound effect on the brain, helping prevent memory loss, cognitive decline, and dementia.

Medical conditions that can cause elderly depression
It’s important to be aware that medical problems can cause depression in older adults and the elderly, either directly or as a psychological reaction to the illness. Any chronic medical condition, particularly if it is painful, disabling, or life-threatening, can lead to depression or make your depression symptoms worse.

These include:

Parkinson’s disease
Stroke
Heart disease
Cancer
Diabetes
Thyroid disorders
Vitamin B12 deficiency
Dementia and Alzheimer’s disease
Lupus
Multiple sclerosis (MS)
Authors: Lawrence Robinson, Melinda Smith, M.A. and Jeanne Segal, Ph.D. Last updated: October 2019.

Laughter is strong medicine for both the body and the mind. It helps you stay balanced, energetic, joyful, and healthy at any age. A sense of humor helps you get through tough times, look outside yourself, laugh at the absurdities of life, and transcend difficulties.

How simple policy changes can help us age better and prevent cognitive decline.

Many people experience a decline in cognitive function with age, such as a worsening memory and trouble processing information. In most cases, this is perfectly normal. In some cases, however, age-related cognitive decline may affect a person’s ability to carry out complex tasks, such as managing finances or preparing a meal. At times, it may even make it difficult for a person to perform daily tasks, such as dressing and feeding.

Around 18% of the UK’s population is aged 65 and older. By 2030, it’s estimated that one in five UK people will be aged over 65.

But this doesn’t account for the number of people who will experience cognitive decline and dementia as they age. Incidence of dementia sharply rises at the age of 75 – and it is expected that the number of people in the UK living with dementia could triple by 2050. Cognitive function is very important to older people’s well-being. It influences everything they do, including working and socialising, and has a huge social and economic impact on families. Finding ways to prevent cognitive decline is increasingly important.

We’re often told that the solution to cognitive decline lies in new medicines or therapies that can reduce symptoms, or by following a healthy lifestyle.

But recent research by our team found that social and emotional well-being – meaning our feelings of being connected to family and the community, and our subjective experience of positive or negative emotions – may be just as important as therapy and lifestyle for maintaining good cognitive function in older age. Numerous studies from around the world have found that social connectedness and loneliness influence older people’s cognitive function, including their memory.

Loneliness affects approximately 9% of people over 65 in the UK. It’s a complex emotional state where people perceive their social interactions and individual relationships to be inadequate.

One major study on ageing – which collects data from more than 18,000 UK over-50s about physical and mental health, well-being, finances and attitudes towards ageing – found that isolation and loneliness were associated with poorer memory, especially among those with lower levels of education. In addition, loneliness in older age was associated with a steeper decline in cognitive function. This included worse memory and verbal fluency.

Cognitive decline and loneliness
Although these findings are staggering, they also show us how difficult it is to establish if loneliness causes cognitive decline, or if cognitive decline causes loneliness. One way to find out is by looking at whether interventions to reduce loneliness also inadvertently affect older people’s cognitive health too.

We addressed this question in a series of studies looking at the impact that free bus travel had on over-60s. When the UK government gave free bus travel to people over 60 in 2006, it was thought that the measure may reduce loneliness and increase social engagement as it enables older people to remain connected to their social environments.

We found that free bus travel significantly increased public transportation use but, in addition, it led to improvements in cognitive function – particularly, improved memory.

In another study, we found that increased public transportation use also reduced depression and feelings of loneliness. It increased participation in volunteering activities and contact with older people’s adult children and friends. These findings show how a simple policy has had unintended positive consequences. It led to significant improvements in older people’s cognitive function and mental health – potentially by influencing social well-being.

Authors:
Mauricio Avendano Pabon
Professor of Public Policy & Global Health, King's College London
Ludovico Carrino
Research fellow, King's College London