Winter Can be Isolating for the Elderly

Tuesday, January 16th, 2024 -- 11:01 AM

(Margaret Faust, Wisconsin Public Radio) The winter is isolating for the elderly, especially in northern parts of the state with longer winters and older populations.

According to Margaret Faust with Wisconsin Public Radio, elderly service centers in rural parts of northern Wisconsin see a surge of referrals after the holidays from families looking to connect their loved ones to caregivers, transportation or food delivery programs.

Susan Richmond, director at the Aging and Disability Resource Center of Vilas County, said in her area, oftentimes older people are left alone when their children move away. "They experience that isolation and a lot of times depression. It's not just feeling blue," Richmond said.

According to a 2023 study on loneliness across the country by the U.S. Surgeon General, feelings of loneliness and isolation have been increasing for decades. The highest rates of social isolation are found among older adults. Rural residents are another at-risk group.

According to the Wisconsin Department of Administration, by 2025, nine counties are expected to have populations where more than 41 percent of their residents are over 60 years old. The populations of Marquette, Adams, Door, Florence, Price, Vilas, Iron, Bayfield and Burrnett counties continue to age at the highest rates.

Officials who work with older populations in those rural counties said severe weather, colder temperatures and less sunlight can exacerbate feelings of loneliness.

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