Research Log #2 - Solutionary Project 2023

Date: 2/28/23
Name: Jenna Sniffen
Central Question: How does loneliness within elders negatively affect communities?
Thesis: Elderly loneliness affects our communities because it causes them to feel useless and increases the chances
of developing life threating aspects.
Essay Sections:
#1 What is the problem? What are the systemic causes? Who is hurt and who benefits? (Use three sources.)
#2: What has been and is being done? (Use two sources.)
#3: What do you think should be done and what do you intend to do? (Use one source.)

In which section will you use this source?

Excerpts:

This article describes, “losing a sense of connection and community changes a person’s perception of the
world”.

People who are commonly social “tend to live longer, boost their mood, and have a sense of purpose.
These activities seem to help maintain their well-being and may improve their cognitive function.”

Research done shows that loneliness and social isolation tend to create medical high risks: “Research has
linked social isolation and loneliness to higher risks for a variety of physical and medical conditions: high
blood pressure, heart disease, obesity, a weakened immune system, anxiety, depression, Alzheimer’s
disease, and even death”.

Commentary and Analysis:

This website provides evidence that this problem of loneliness heavily affects many elderly
individuals is a negative way. There is absolutely no good that can possibly come out of a situation so
serious as this one. It is stated in the article written by the National Institute on Aging, that people who go
through a lot of trauma in their life and get to feeling that lonely stage of their life, are more likely to be at
risk. It was predicated in the same article that loneliness is known to the associated and linked to
premature death. People who tend to feel this way, also look at the world with very little to no purpose.
This can also cause the altercation of cells in the body, causing very serious medical issues.
There are many known ways that can cause loneliness to impact someone in a negative way, most
of those are known as serious medical developments. Feeling alone can go so far as putting you at a high
risk of developing a high blood pressure, heart disease, depression, Alzheimer’s, and the biggest and most
common, a weakened immune system. With a weak immune system, this decreases the chances of your
body healing at a normal pace, which leads to long term inflammation. Long term inflammation is known
to cause chronic and even sometimes terminal diseases. Often many people slip into that dessive state of
mind, and begin to make choices that are prematurely decided, due to fact that these elders fall down a
hole and choose temporary happiness.
MLA Work Cited:

“Loneliness and Social Isolation Linked to Serious Health Conditions.” Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 29 Apr. 2021,
www.cdc.gov/aging/publications/features/lonely-older-adults.html. 

This is a reputable and reliable article because NIA was established in 1947 and works to improve the
health of older adults through research and past experiences.