By Christine Martin, Executive Director at Community Life Bridge

As human beings, we are created to be social. Even if we find that our personality leans toward being introverted, connections to others are important for survival. We all need to fulfill our role and interact with one another to thrive in life.

As we age, we no longer go to work and have a built-in social network. Our family may move away or grow busy and no longer have time to spend with us. We have friends with health concerns who are staying at home more. This creates a unique challenge for us to maintain social interactions. Throw in an inability to drive anymore, and it becomes even more complicated to have social interactions. This is when many older adults begin to face isolation and loneliness.

How can our community support each other as we age to prevent this from happening? Our first step is to realize it is happening. For some, we need to realize it is happening to us, and that explains why we are feeling down or depressed. For others, we need to recognize it is happening to our family members or friends as we see them changing before our eyes, but we do not understand why. Or maybe we need to be a part of a community that connects the most isolated with the resources our county offers.

In Sumner County we have fabulous senior centers – Elevate 50 in Hendersonville, Gallatin Senior Center and Portland Senior Center. These centers are full of neighbors who are combating isolation by coming together to be active. We also have great libraries offering daily activities for adults to gather, get out of the house to learn, and grow. Our schools and nonprofits are always seeking volunteers and extra hands to be a part of their missions.

So, how do we and others find ourselves socially isolated with all these options? It may be health related, and we need someone to come to us. Or it may just be motivation, and we could use some encouragement to attend or someone to join us in a new experience. Maybe it is a lack of transportation, and we need a ride. It takes courage to ask someone to go with us; it takes bravery to get out there in our community; it takes energy to get up and go. But what we find when we take those steps to get out and about is that social isolation doesn’t feel as heavy. Loneliness is replaced with a desire to go again. We build friendships with others in the same season of life, living alone and thriving, and setting an example for us.

If you or someone you know is experiencing social isolation, consider taking the first step to get out, try something new, and connect with others. You may discover that your presence makes a meaningful difference in someone else’s life, too. And if transportation is a barrier, Community Life Ride is here to help—just call 615-431-2660 to learn more.

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