Old & alone

Loneliness, life & death

Since retiring to the country in 2021 the writer has come to realise one thing - being old and alone can be detrimental to physical and emotional well-being. As he approached 70, the writer's health went almost overnight from perfect to problematic. Lots of reasons were looked at, analysed, and possible solutions discovered. Yet, at its core, the problem was not simply physiological, as in "aging"; it was psychological as well, as in "being alone". That loneliness was not just separation from an intimate partner, but also from immediate family and friends. The impact of that separation was significant. 

The writer became very much aware of this reality about four years into his isolation, when connection with "home" became more fractured and had gradually lessened over time. Looking for medical solutions did not really work, and neither did healthy solutions available aplenty through social media such as YouTube, though these were obviously significant for anyone approaching their seventies and could not be ignored. The following video, for example, with an AI-generated doctor presenting, addresses some of the issues referred to above.

* The truth about older men living alone - 5 surprising facts every senior must know, Dr. Richard Ben, YouTube, duration: 24.57 minutes.

In summary, the video presents five practical activities and things that can help stop the decline in health due to loneliness. They are as follows, listed in order of importance:

1. Chronic loneliness and the associated negative impacts upon cellular biology. It leads to early mortality. Social connection is vital. Older men suffer from this more than older women, because the latter are able to maintain social connections better then men.
2. Strength training. Fast twitch fibres must be supported, as they disappear as one gets older. Resistance training is required - fast and strength building, two sessions a week. Eat protein after the training.
3. Quality of sleep. Men living alone experience shorter periods of deep sleep due to fear and lack of intimacy. This is the most important stage of sleep during which body maintenance is at its highest. It can result in a higher incidence of Alzheimer disease. Magnesium just before bed is recommended.
4. Anabolic resistance, due to the effects of protein. Up to 50% more protein is needed to maintain physical fitness and muscle strength. Distribute it across all means - Greek yogurt, eggs, fish, meat, and Omega 3 via sardines, fish oil, etc.
5. Early morning sunlight and exposure on the body. If done within the first 90 minutes of waking, it affects the circadian rhythm, with the latter very much put out of whack due to living alone. Walking also assists.

A Google search around the real, physical impacts of chronic loneliness, revealed the following information arising out of a 2015+ Mormon Church study via the Brigham Young University:

Groundbreaking research from Brigham Young University (BYU) reveals that chronic loneliness and social isolation can shorten your lifespan by several years, carrying a health risk comparable to smoking 15 cigarettes a day. The BYU Social Connection and Health Lab found that loneliness increases premature mortality risk by up to 26% [1, 2, 3]. The findings from BYU psychology professors Julianne Holt-Lunstad and Timothy B. Smith demonstrated that this lack of connection increases your mortality risk by exactly 26%, while objective social isolation increases it by 29%. Interestingly, these detrimental impacts on longevity are even more pronounced in populations under age 65 than in older adults [1, 2]. Because chronic loneliness triggers physiological responses comparable to sustained stress and inflammation, it is increasingly treated as a major public health crisis. On the flip side, their studies show that robust social ties can increase your odds of survival by up to 50%.

So there we have it - the bad news and the good news. Some of the references included in this summary are listed and linked in below.

* Archibald, Whitney Singley, Loneliness and Social Connection with Dr. Julianne Holt-Lunstad, Y Magazine, 2 February 2024, YouTube [audio], duration: 26.39 minutes.

As noted therein, the COVID-19 pandemic between 2020-2022 brought loneliness to the fore as millions of people around the world found themselves, often for the first time, cut of physically and socially from family, friends, workmates and the world in general. It was a dramatic, traumatic and often scary time. Research had been carried out in the decade leading up to the pandemic, often instigated by concerns arising out of the spread of social media and smartphones, giving rise to isolation and loss of social skills and social engagement, especially among young people. The issue continues through to the present day (July 2026) and it is not confined to old people.

The message from all the studies and the social media online chat is clear - proactively address the issue of loneliness by getting out and engaging physically and socially with the world around us; expand your connections with people; and recognise that the joy of interaction and intimate partnerships is key to long term health and happiness. 

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References

Archibald, Whitney Singley, Loneliness and Social Connection, Y Magazine, Brigham Young University, 2 February 2024, YouTube [audio], duration: 26.39 minutes. 

Howes, Lewis, Loneliness decreases your life expectancy, Facebook, 2 June 2026, duration: 4.12 minutes. 

Kristof, Nicholas, We humans make a lonely crowd, and it's killing us, Salt Lake Tribune / Collage of Life Sciences, Brigham Young University, 11/12 November 2019.  

Morgenegg, Ryan, BYU Study: Spending less time alone increases lifespan, Church News, 27 March 2015.

The truth about older men living alone - 5 surprising facts every senior must know, Dr. Richard Ben, YouTube, duration: 24.57 minutes.

Warnick, Melody McGrath, Loneliness - The Shadow Pandemic, Y Magazine, Brigham Young University, Summer 2020.

Worland, Justin, Why loneliness may be the next big public health issue, Time, 19 March 2015. 

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Last updated: 24 July 2026

Michael Organ, Australia