Social Isolation for the Elderly during COVID-19 and What Can Patient Advocates do to help
To protect our elderly and chronically ill from COVID-19, we’ve asked this population to isolate at home. This is the best way to keep them safe. But how do we protect this population, already at high risk for loneliness, from the health risks that come with isolation?
Loneliness and social isolation have been associated with increased risk for several chronic conditions, including dementia (64 percent increase), stroke (32 percent increase), and coronary artery disease (29 percent increase). Social isolation has also been linked to increases in emergency department visits, hospitalizations, and nursing home placements.
Among Medicare beneficiaries, social isolation is the cause of $6.7 billion in additional healthcare costs each year, according to Health Affairs. This higher spending is driven by increased hospitalization and institutionalization. Researchers have also found that socially isolated seniors face higher mortality rates.
This program will discuss the second but not well known nationwide pandemic of social isolation for the elderly. When a healthcare crisis occurs, the caregivers, the chronically disabled, seniors, and their families are faced with decisions they are unprepared to make. Caregiver Champion in an organization in Western PA that provides caregivers, the chronically disabled, seniors, and their family’s professional assistance navigating the bureaucratic healthcare maze through providing assessments for a plan of care, information and referrals, care management in the homes, nursing homes, and hospitals, as well as rehab. They see firsthand the impact of social isolation on their patients. In this program learn tips to incorporate into your practice.
3 Session Objectives
- Learn the impact of social isolation on seniors in nursing homes, hospitals, and homes
- Appreciate the impact of social isolation on families
- List two solutions that can help when social isolation impacts people.
Non-Member Purchase
You will receive an email, after checking out, with a unique passcode to input above enabling this webinar.
Continuing Education webinars are open to NAHAC members and the general public looking to enhance their knowledge and receive continuing education credit.
As a NAHAC benefit, Full Members are charged only $10.00 for a CE webinar while the general public pays $40.00 per CE credit webinar. NAHAC full members, who just want to view the webinars, can go to the NAHAC website to view the webinars at any time – no charge.
To receive the discounted NAHAC membership rate for CE webinars, access and complete an application here: Membership Form.
Members Only Purchase
You will recieve an email, after checking out, with a unique passcode to input above enabling this webinar.
Continuing Education webinars are open to NAHAC members and the general public looking to enhance their knowledge and receive continuing education credit.
Jeff Weinberg, M.ED, M.PH, NHA
Jeff Weinberg has a Master’s in Public Health Administration from the University of Pittsburgh and a Masters in Counseling from Duquesne University. He is a licensed nursing home administrator. He has over 25 years of experience as a Hospital, nursing home, and rehab administrator. He's a nationally certified healthcare patient advocate through APHA (Alliance of professional health advocates.) He also teaches nursing home and personal care administration and required coursework for prospective administrators at CCAC and Penn State. Jeff works to increase awareness on an important issue that we are calling the second pandemic, social isolation in nursing homes.