From Lonely to “Part of the Club”

Ms. C rarely engaged with others in her assisted living facility. She sat alone in her wheelchair, phone in hand, far from everyone else.

Separation from her husband and a rocky relationship with her daughter made Ms. C feel she “didn’t know how to belong.”

She isn’t alone. Loneliness impacts 20 million older adults. In fact, a lack of social connection can be more harmful than smoking 15 cigarettes a day.

Things began to change for Ms. C when she joined an aging well program created by NCOA.

Normally silent, Ms. C spoke up as her neighbors talked about healthy relationships. She gained the confidence to tell her story and shared that she didn’t mean to be unfriendly.

In an instant, the class vowed to look out for her and told Ms. C she was now “part of the club.”

On #GivingTuesday, give people like Ms. C the gift of aging well. When you donate to NCOA, you transform lives through our trusted programs that reach millions of older adults nationwide.

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