Upstate Elder Abuse Center (UpEAC) at Lifespan’s NYS E-MDT Initiative Webinar Series

Social connections that create a sense of caring, contributing, and community have a range of benefits for health and well-being at all ages and are especially important as we age. While most older people do not experience social isolation and loneliness, those who do are at risk for negative outcomes as they age, including lower quality of life and poor physical and mental health. They may also be more vulnerable to fraud, scams, and elder abuse. Social connection may help to mitigate these risks and improve quality of life.

In this presentation, Abigail Hoffman from the HOPE Lab at the University of Rochester will describe reasons why attending to one’s ‘social health’ is important and social connection is a form of medicine! She will discuss research on the links between SIL and vulnerability to financial scams, as well as evidence-based strategies to increase quantity and quality of social connections. She will also discuss our attitudes about ageing and how those shape how we engage with others as we age. She will share resources for increasing social connection and describe current research to increase social connection and well-being.