In this month's Narrative Matters article, Louise Aronson and Ashwin Kotwal discuss older Americans’ experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic, including social isolation and loneliness, generosity, and resilience. They argue this experience must be studied and addressed.
Before the pandemic it was uncommon for clinicians to address loneliness or social isolation, despite decades of research linking them to adverse health outcomes and premature
mortality, but now clinicians are witnessing the health consequences of social isolation in older adults.
Illustration by Brett Ryder
“From our perspective, it is time to end any ongoing isolation measures that remain for community day programs, assisted living facilities, and nursing homes,” Aronson and
Kotwal assert.
The authors describe four key considerations for the future in the case another pandemic strikes.
To read all Aronson and Kotwal’s considerations and learn more about the experience of older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic, read December’s Narrative Matters essay on our website.
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2022 Health Policy Year In Review
On the 100th episode of Health Affairs This Week, Ellen Bayer and Kathleen Haddad go over major policy developments in health care this year, including COVID-19, abortion, gun violence, drug prices, and more.
Health Affairs is the leading peer-reviewedjournalat the intersection of health, health care, and policy. Published monthly by Project HOPE, the journal is available in print and online. Late-breaking
content is also found through healthaffairs.org, Health Affairs Today, and Health Affairs Sunday Update.
Project HOPE is a global health and humanitarian relief organization that places power in the hands of local health care workers to save lives across the globe. Project HOPE has published Health Affairs since 1981.
