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By Keri Lipperini, Director
of the Office of Nutrition and Health Promotion Programs
Each year, thousands of lives are lost to suicide across the U.S.
And although suicide can affect people of any age, older adults are
particularly at risk. Serious illness, chronic pain, mental health
conditions such as depression, and social isolation all increase
risk of suicide, and all of these
conditions are more prevalent among older adults.
In 2019, over
9,000 adults age 65+ died by suicide, and suicide rates were
highest among those 85+ compared to other age groups. And for
every older adult who dies by suicide, many more have considered or
attempted suicide.
As a former Navy hospital corpsman who has worked many years with
veterans of all ages, and someone who has worked in the aging
network for more than 20 years, I have witnessed this first hand. I
have seen seniors stop eating due depression, listened to the
people in tears from the chronic pain they experience, and walked
side-by-side with veterans who battled suicidal thoughts every day.
I’ve also seen first-hand the impact of the aging network, and
passion and dedication you bring to helping people stay healthy and
engaged as they age. I’m proud to say that I have seen the same
passion and dedication since I joined ACL in 2017. And together, we
are making an amazing difference.
For example, our programs address the health factors that increase
the risk of suicide:
And we
also are working together to address the social factors that can
increase the risk of suicide.
One of the greatest protective measures in preventing suicide is
building strong and meaningful connections with others. Connection
creates a sense of belonging – or the feeling of being a valued
member of your community – which is essential to our health and
well-being. It also creates a safety net to fall back on during
difficult times.
ACL and our partners in the aging and disability networks have long
understood the importance of connection, and we have developed
programs and services to help prevent isolation. For example, with
funding from ACL, the engAGED
National Resource Center is working with the aging network to
expand capacity to offer social engagement to older adults, people
with disabilities, and caregivers.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, these efforts became more important
than ever, as public health measures led to unprecedented isolation
– especially for those at highest risk, including older adults and
people with disabilities.
Our networks met this challenge head on with innovative
interventions that not only addressed basic needs, like nutrition,
but also fostered belonging and connection. For example, ACL-funded
research teams at Georgia State University and Virginia Tech
collaborated to develop a program to reduce social isolation and
suicide risk among older adults who participating in the
home-delivered meals program. (You can read more about that program
in our guest
blog from earlier this month.)
ACL’s Commit
to Connect initiative pulled together partners from across
federal government, the aging and disability networks,
philanthropy, and industry to create this campaign to combat social
isolation and loneliness during COVID-19 and beyond.
As vaccination rates increase, we can look forward to reopening our
doors and creating opportunities for older adults to connect in
person. But we also will continue to build upon the successful
strategies developed over the last year and a half, reaching more
people, more effectively than ever before.
Suicide is preventable, and our programs – and the aging network –
play a key role in reducing the risk of suicide for the people we
serve.
If you or someone
you know is in crisis, talk
to someone now. The Suicide Prevention Lifeline is available
24/7 via chat
or phone: 800-273-8255
Explore more
resources for staying connected…
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