At DOROT, we believe that social isolation among older adults is a bipartisan issue. So we were delighted to see the U.S. Senate’s Special Committee on Aging hold a hearing yesterday on ways to combat loneliness and social isolation among seniors.
Led by Senator Rick Scott (R-FL), committee chair, and Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), ranking member, the hearing noted the severe impact of social isolation on older adults and discussed initiatives to ease the problem. “Senator Scott and Senator Gillibrand deserve tremendous credit for holding this hearing and for demonstrating clearly that loneliness among seniors is not a partisan issue,” said DOROT Executive Director Mark L. Meridy.
“My colleague Andrew MacPherson, Founder and Executive Chair of the Foundation for Social Connection Action Network, explained eloquently that while the problem is complex, we know a great deal about how to solve it.”
MacPherson called for ongoing support for the Older Americans Act and other critical federal initiatives, while citing community programs like DOROT’s for their proven effectiveness in easing social isolation and strengthening communities. Asked by Gillibrand about the power of intergenerational connections, MacPherson pointed to DOROT, which has a number of programs that foster life-enhancing relationships between older adults and teens, two groups at high risk of social isolation.
Watch videos from the hearing below: