Rural Social Isolation and Loneliness: Three-part Series

Rural Social Isolation and Loneliness: Three-part Series

In this series, participants learned about loneliness and social isolation among older adults in rural and urban areas. Trainers discussed what has changed as a result of the current health pandemic, how we can prepare rural providers to ask questions to determine isolation/loneliness, and what we can do for rural people who are experiencing isolation/loneliness. Session two provided examples of programs that have been addressing rural isolation among older adults, and how they have adapted during the health pandemic. Finally, the third session focused on grief and loss, as well as supports available in rural areas. 

Session one

Rural Social Isolation and Loneliness: Rates, Importance, and Identifying Risk 

July 14, 2020

In this session, participants learned about loneliness and social isolation among older adults in rural and urban areas. Dr. Henning Smith spoke to the data, what we know, how social isolation and loneliness are unique in rural areas, and how rural social isolation is a health and mortality risk factor. She discussed what has changed as a result of the current health pandemic, how we can prepare rural providers to ask questions to determine isolation/loneliness, and what can we do for rural people who are experiencing isolation/loneliness.

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Trainer

• Dr. Carrie Henning-Smith, PhD, MPH, MSW

Session two

The Evolving Nature of Social Connections: Promoting Well-Being in Times of Crisis

July 22, 2020

This session addressed programs designed to make connections between and among individuals and organizations to promote well-being in the aging population.

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Trainers

• Natalie Matthewson, MA, LPC
• Rebecca Hostetler
• Darcy Rylander, BS, RYT, NBC-HWC
• Steve Hoover, PhD

Session three

Rural but Reachable: How to Build Grief Support by Creating Community

July 28, 2020

What are the unique qualities of our rural environments which lend to us creating community surrounding our common denominator of grief? This session explored how you can start the thread of connection in your own community to support those in grief. Presenters discussed how  COVID-19 changed this and where are we now as we create new avenues of support for each other and grief becomes even more of our common experience and language.

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Trainer

• Cynthia Drake