{"id":68532,"date":"2017-07-12T23:21:05","date_gmt":"2017-07-12T23:21:05","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.comfortkeepers.ca\/toronto\/fighting-elderly-isolation-depression-torontos-seniors\/"},"modified":"2026-08-20T19:08:48","modified_gmt":"2026-08-20T19:08:48","slug":"fighting-elderly-isolation-depression-torontos-seniors","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.comfortkeepers.ca\/toronto\/fighting-elderly-isolation-depression-torontos-seniors\/","title":{"rendered":"Fighting Elderly Isolation and Depression in Toronto\u2019s Seniors"},"content":{"rendered":"<blockquote><p>According to Statistics Canada, over 50% of women, 65 and over live alone.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>There are so many factors that can contribute to a senior loved one suffering from loneliness or even depression. The death of a spouse or close friend, transportation challenges, and living alone (physical isolation) are just a few of the factors that can lead to depression and loneliness in Toronto\u2019s senior population.<strong>\u00a0 <\/strong><strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<h2><strong>The Importance of Fighting Elderly Isolation<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>As we age, it\u2019s important to maintain physical well-being, but often times, psychological, emotional, and social health can fall by the wayside due to increased isolation. For some, this isolation can come about rather suddenly, with the passing of a loved one or close family members moving away. For others, it can be a more gradual process as the natural effects of aging begin to take hold.<\/p>\n<p>Scientific and health communities have, for many years, viewed isolation as detrimental to the overall wellbeing of older adults. Studies continually suggest that those who are chronically isolated tend to have a higher frequency of health-related issues \u2013 while, conversely, socialization efforts can lead to healthier, more fulfilling lives. In fact, the Global Council on Brain Health (GCBH) \u2013 an international collaborative of AARP \u2013 recently released a report which includes a consensus statement indicating that social engagement helps \u201cthinking skills and slows cognitive decline later in life.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Other research studies suggest even more benefits of socialization, including:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Strengthened immune system<\/li>\n<li>Reduced depression<\/li>\n<li>Better sleep<\/li>\n<li>Increased productivity<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><strong>Tips On Preventing Elderly Depression<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>As mentioned, there are several ways in which isolation can exist in the lives of older adults, and \u2013 depending on the situation \u2013 it may take some work to get back to a happier, healthier state of mind. If you have an aging loved one experiencing the effects of isolation, here are some ways that they can maintain positive wellbeing through socialization.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><em>Join a class or group <\/em>\u2013 Whether it\u2019s enrolling in a computer class or joining an exercise group at the local senior center, there are countless ways for older adults to be engaged in new activities or learnings. In addition to strengthening their cognitive abilities, these opportunities provide the chance to make new social connections with like-minded people. And because many of these activities are structured, there is a great amount of stability added to day-to-day routines for older adults. Religious organizations also offer a number of different opportunities for socialization, including retreats and community outreach events.<\/li>\n<li><em>Stay\/become involved \u2013 <\/em>Sometimes giving back to others is the best way to help maintain social wellness. Most towns have a wide array of organizations dedicated to providing assistance to those in need. This can be anything from giving music lessons or tutoring students. If your aging loved one has a skill or talent that can be utilized in the community, encourage him or her to reach out to their local civic and charity organizations. Giving back can even be as simple as volunteering at a soup kitchen once a month. These opportunities will certainly facilitate healthy socialization, while also providing a meaningful sense of accomplishment.<\/li>\n<li><em>Strengthen existing relationships<\/em> \u2013 Throughout the course of a lifetime, it\u2019s not uncommon for certain friends and family members to drift in and out of our \u201csocial circles.\u201d We may be closer with one sibling, cousin, or neighbor over another \u2013 and as life begins to slow down for your aging loved one, those that have drifted away may be feeling the same feelings of isolation as your loved one. All it takes is one instance of reaching out in order to reconnect and catch up on old times. Social media platforms, like Facebook, have made this easier and more convenient than ever before. Your loved one can send instant messages and even share photos. The visual, interactive component of social media can make a world of difference, especially when face-to-face interaction is not possible or feasible.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Comfort Keepers<sup>\u00ae<\/sup>\u2019 trained caregivers help provide senior clients with the highest quality of life possible to keep them happy and healthy at home. Our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.comfortkeepers.ca\/toronto\/interactive-caregiving-in-toronto\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Interactive Caregiving<\/a>\u2122 provides a system of care that addresses safety, nutrition, mind, body, and activities of daily living (ADLs) no matter what the weather.<\/p>\n<p>For additional information on Comfort Keepers of Canada<sup>\u00ae<\/sup> at Toronto or any other Comfort Keepers of Canada<sup>\u00ae<\/sup> location please visit our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.comfortkeepers.ca\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">home page<\/a> or call us at 416-663-2930.<\/p>\n<p><strong>References:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Simple Most. \u201cThe 6 Health Benefits of Being Social\u201d by Carina Wolff. Web. 2016.<\/li>\n<li>AARP. \u201cThe Brain and Social Connectedness: GCBH Recommendations on Social Engagement and Brain Health.\u201d Web. 2016.<\/li>\n<li>Psychology Today. \u201cThe Health Benefits of Socializing\u201d by Angela K. Troyer Ph.D., C.Psych. Web. 2017.<\/li>\n<li>Everyday Health. \u201c10 Easy Ways Seniors Can Boost Their Mental Health and Well-Being\u201d by Diana Rodriguez. Web. 2016<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>As we age, it\u2019s important to maintain physical well-being, but often times, psychological, emotional, and social health can fall by the wayside due to increased isolation. If you have an aging loved one experiencing the effects of isolation, here are some ways that they can maintain positive wellbeing through socialization.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":94,"featured_media":68533,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-68532","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-senior-care"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Fighting Elderly Isolation and Depression in Toronto\u2019s Seniors<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Scientific and health communities view isolation as detrimental to senior wellbeing. Here are ways seniors can maintain health through socialization.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.comfortkeepers.ca\/toronto\/fighting-elderly-isolation-depression-torontos-seniors\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Fighting Elderly Isolation and Depression in Toronto\u2019s Seniors\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Scientific and health communities view isolation as detrimental to senior wellbeing. Here are ways seniors can maintain health through socialization.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.comfortkeepers.ca\/toronto\/fighting-elderly-isolation-depression-torontos-seniors\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Comfort Keepers Toronto New\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/ComfortKeepersGTA\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2017-07-12T23:21:05+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-08-20T19:08:48+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.comfortkeepers.ca\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/171\/2017\/07\/dogonbench13-scaled-1.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"2560\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1707\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"teamit@limeadvertising.com\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"teamit@limeadvertising.com\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.comfortkeepers.ca\\\/toronto\\\/fighting-elderly-isolation-depression-torontos-seniors\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.comfortkeepers.ca\\\/toronto\\\/fighting-elderly-isolation-depression-torontos-seniors\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"teamit@limeadvertising.com\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.comfortkeepers.ca\\\/toronto\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/2d2199bf4e09c10d309cc3471d6cfa6b\"},\"headline\":\"Fighting Elderly Isolation and Depression in Toronto\u2019s Seniors\",\"datePublished\":\"2017-07-12T23:21:05+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-08-20T19:08:48+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.comfortkeepers.ca\\\/toronto\\\/fighting-elderly-isolation-depression-torontos-seniors\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":793,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.comfortkeepers.ca\\\/toronto\\\/fighting-elderly-isolation-depression-torontos-seniors\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.comfortkeepers.ca\\\/toronto\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/171\\\/2017\\\/07\\\/dogonbench13-scaled-1.jpg\",\"articleSection\":[\"Senior Care\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.comfortkeepers.ca\\\/toronto\\\/fighting-elderly-isolation-depression-torontos-seniors\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.comfortkeepers.ca\\\/toronto\\\/fighting-elderly-isolation-depression-torontos-seniors\\\/\",\"name\":\"Fighting Elderly Isolation and Depression in Toronto\u2019s Seniors\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.comfortkeepers.ca\\\/toronto\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.comfortkeepers.ca\\\/toronto\\\/fighting-elderly-isolation-depression-torontos-seniors\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.comfortkeepers.ca\\\/toronto\\\/fighting-elderly-isolation-depression-torontos-seniors\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.comfortkeepers.ca\\\/toronto\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/171\\\/2017\\\/07\\\/dogonbench13-scaled-1.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2017-07-12T23:21:05+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-08-20T19:08:48+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.comfortkeepers.ca\\\/toronto\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/2d2199bf4e09c10d309cc3471d6cfa6b\"},\"description\":\"Scientific and health communities view isolation as detrimental to senior wellbeing. Here are ways seniors can maintain health through socialization.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.comfortkeepers.ca\\\/toronto\\\/fighting-elderly-isolation-depression-torontos-seniors\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.comfortkeepers.ca\\\/toronto\\\/fighting-elderly-isolation-depression-torontos-seniors\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.comfortkeepers.ca\\\/toronto\\\/fighting-elderly-isolation-depression-torontos-seniors\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.comfortkeepers.ca\\\/toronto\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/171\\\/2017\\\/07\\\/dogonbench13-scaled-1.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.comfortkeepers.ca\\\/toronto\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/171\\\/2017\\\/07\\\/dogonbench13-scaled-1.jpg\",\"width\":2560,\"height\":1707},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.comfortkeepers.ca\\\/toronto\\\/fighting-elderly-isolation-depression-torontos-seniors\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.comfortkeepers.ca\\\/toronto\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Fighting Elderly Isolation and Depression in Toronto\u2019s Seniors\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.comfortkeepers.ca\\\/toronto\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.comfortkeepers.ca\\\/toronto\\\/\",\"name\":\"Comfort Keepers Toronto | Senior Home Care\",\"description\":\"Elevating the human spirit\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.comfortkeepers.ca\\\/toronto\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.comfortkeepers.ca\\\/toronto\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/2d2199bf4e09c10d309cc3471d6cfa6b\",\"name\":\"teamit@limeadvertising.com\",\"sameAs\":[\"http:\\\/\\\/www.comfortkeepers.ca\\\/calgary-new\"]}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Fighting Elderly Isolation and Depression in Toronto\u2019s Seniors","description":"Scientific and health communities view isolation as detrimental to senior wellbeing. Here are ways seniors can maintain health through socialization.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.comfortkeepers.ca\/toronto\/fighting-elderly-isolation-depression-torontos-seniors\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Fighting Elderly Isolation and Depression in Toronto\u2019s Seniors","og_description":"Scientific and health communities view isolation as detrimental to senior wellbeing. Here are ways seniors can maintain health through socialization.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.comfortkeepers.ca\/toronto\/fighting-elderly-isolation-depression-torontos-seniors\/","og_site_name":"Comfort Keepers Toronto New","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/ComfortKeepersGTA","article_published_time":"2017-07-12T23:21:05+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-08-20T19:08:48+00:00","og_image":[{"width":2560,"height":1707,"url":"https:\/\/www.comfortkeepers.ca\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/171\/2017\/07\/dogonbench13-scaled-1.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"teamit@limeadvertising.com","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"teamit@limeadvertising.com","Est. reading time":"4 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.comfortkeepers.ca\/toronto\/fighting-elderly-isolation-depression-torontos-seniors\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.comfortkeepers.ca\/toronto\/fighting-elderly-isolation-depression-torontos-seniors\/"},"author":{"name":"teamit@limeadvertising.com","@id":"https:\/\/www.comfortkeepers.ca\/toronto\/#\/schema\/person\/2d2199bf4e09c10d309cc3471d6cfa6b"},"headline":"Fighting Elderly Isolation and Depression in Toronto\u2019s Seniors","datePublished":"2017-07-12T23:21:05+00:00","dateModified":"2026-08-20T19:08:48+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.comfortkeepers.ca\/toronto\/fighting-elderly-isolation-depression-torontos-seniors\/"},"wordCount":793,"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.comfortkeepers.ca\/toronto\/fighting-elderly-isolation-depression-torontos-seniors\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.comfortkeepers.ca\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/171\/2017\/07\/dogonbench13-scaled-1.jpg","articleSection":["Senior Care"],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.comfortkeepers.ca\/toronto\/fighting-elderly-isolation-depression-torontos-seniors\/","url":"https:\/\/www.comfortkeepers.ca\/toronto\/fighting-elderly-isolation-depression-torontos-seniors\/","name":"Fighting Elderly Isolation and Depression in Toronto\u2019s Seniors","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.comfortkeepers.ca\/toronto\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.comfortkeepers.ca\/toronto\/fighting-elderly-isolation-depression-torontos-seniors\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.comfortkeepers.ca\/toronto\/fighting-elderly-isolation-depression-torontos-seniors\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.comfortkeepers.ca\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/171\/2017\/07\/dogonbench13-scaled-1.jpg","datePublished":"2017-07-12T23:21:05+00:00","dateModified":"2026-08-20T19:08:48+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.comfortkeepers.ca\/toronto\/#\/schema\/person\/2d2199bf4e09c10d309cc3471d6cfa6b"},"description":"Scientific and health communities view isolation as detrimental to senior wellbeing. Here are ways seniors can maintain health through socialization.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.comfortkeepers.ca\/toronto\/fighting-elderly-isolation-depression-torontos-seniors\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.comfortkeepers.ca\/toronto\/fighting-elderly-isolation-depression-torontos-seniors\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.comfortkeepers.ca\/toronto\/fighting-elderly-isolation-depression-torontos-seniors\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.comfortkeepers.ca\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/171\/2017\/07\/dogonbench13-scaled-1.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.comfortkeepers.ca\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/171\/2017\/07\/dogonbench13-scaled-1.jpg","width":2560,"height":1707},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.comfortkeepers.ca\/toronto\/fighting-elderly-isolation-depression-torontos-seniors\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.comfortkeepers.ca\/toronto\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Fighting Elderly Isolation and Depression in Toronto\u2019s Seniors"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.comfortkeepers.ca\/toronto\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.comfortkeepers.ca\/toronto\/","name":"Comfort Keepers Toronto | Senior Home Care","description":"Elevating the human spirit","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.comfortkeepers.ca\/toronto\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.comfortkeepers.ca\/toronto\/#\/schema\/person\/2d2199bf4e09c10d309cc3471d6cfa6b","name":"teamit@limeadvertising.com","sameAs":["http:\/\/www.comfortkeepers.ca\/calgary-new"]}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.comfortkeepers.ca\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/68532","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.comfortkeepers.ca\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.comfortkeepers.ca\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.comfortkeepers.ca\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/94"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.comfortkeepers.ca\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=68532"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.comfortkeepers.ca\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/68532\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":68726,"href":"https:\/\/www.comfortkeepers.ca\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/68532\/revisions\/68726"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.comfortkeepers.ca\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/68533"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.comfortkeepers.ca\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=68532"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.comfortkeepers.ca\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=68532"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.comfortkeepers.ca\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=68532"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}