Social isolation might be a greater risk factor for dementia than previously believed. That’s according to researchers from University College London (UCL). They found that people over age 55 who live alone are 30 per cent more likely to develop ...

New Australian research has found that the more social interactions aged care recipients have, the better their cognitive function. And researchers argue that the government should help keep aged care residents socially engaged using technology. Academics from Macquarie University, along ...

“Hello, Pat. It’s Judy.” That’s how Patricia Watson’s sister greeted her when the two unexpectedly crossed paths at the shops. Watson lives with age-related macular degeneration (AMD) which, as Dr Jo Lane from Australian National University’s Research School of Population ...

“Eleanor Rigby died in a church and was buried along with her name. Nobody came.” That is the story of lonely people according to The Beatles and was inspired, in part, by the old women Paul McCartney encountered on a ...

How many conversations do you have in a day? A wearable device might soon be able to tell you. RMIT researchers have partnered with Bolton Clarke to develop the CaT Pin. It tracks the wearer’s conversation and sends alerts to ...

Hall and Prior Aged Care has announced it will incorporate audio and video conferencing services into its nursing homes to help reduce isolation among residents. The family-owned organisation manages 25 nursing homes, and says 80 per cent of sites have ...

A Melbourne-based research project has been funded to reduce health issues and social isolation in senior women living alone. Bolton Clarke Research Institute’s Older Women Living Alone project was funded through a $250,000 Lord Mayor’s Charitable Foundation grant, and will seek ...

Identifying digital advances that can reduce social isolation will improve lives and cut healthcare costs. A number of technology-based interventions have been offered to older adults in a bid to reduce social isolation, but do they work? This is what ...