U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA), Chairman of the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging, and Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT) unveiled the Addressing Social Isolation and Loneliness in Older Adults (SILO) Act on Thursday. The bill aims to improve social connections for older adults and those with disabilities by funding Area Agencies on Aging (AAAs) and local organizations.
The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the severe impact of social isolation on mental and physical health. However, for older Americans and those with disabilities, isolation and loneliness have long been significant issues. The SILO Act will fund new programs to enhance social connection and reduce loneliness among these populations.
Chairman Casey stated, “The Addressing SILO Act will fund new programs to improve social connection and reduce loneliness among older Americans and help ensure that Americans do not have to spend their golden years isolated and alone.”
Senator Murphy added, “This legislation would create a new grant program dedicated to supporting community-based organizations focused on helping their neighbors feel a little less alone. It’s a simple way the federal government can be a part of the solution.”
In 2019, there were 54 million adults aged 65 and older in the U.S., with a quarter of those being socially isolated. Life transitions and disruptive events, such as retirement, loss of a spouse or friends, or children moving away, put older adults at a higher risk for social isolation and loneliness. Such isolation poses significant public health risks, contributing to poor health outcomes and increasing Medicare spending by an estimated $6.7 billion annually.
The SILO Act would enhance social connection and reduce isolation and loneliness among older adults and adults with disabilities through grants and training programs for AAAs and local organizations. Specifically, the bill provides $62.5 million in annual funding to support these organizations in:
- Training staff to better address and prevent social isolation and loneliness;
- Conducting outreach to individuals at risk for social isolation and loneliness;
- Developing community-based interventions to mitigate social isolation and loneliness;
- Connecting at-risk individuals with social and clinical supports; and
- Evaluating the effectiveness of the programs developed and implemented through the grants.
In essence, the Addressing SILO Act aims to enhance the quality of life for older adults and adults with disabilities by reducing social isolation and loneliness, improving their health outcomes, and potentially reducing healthcare costs.
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