California hospital takes aim at elderly patients’ loneliness

Hospital patients, especially the elderly, may be lonely during a stay, so one California hospital is putting a program in place to provide companionship to patients.

At UCLA Medical Center, volunteer companions spend time with patients in the geriatric unit, according to an article from National Public Radio. But these volunteers aren’t just ready to have a good conversation; they’re trained to respond in a medical emergency, too. David Reuben, M.D., the hospital’s chief of geriatrics, said the volunteers are thoroughly vetted and trained before they meet with patients.

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Loneliness has been characterized as a public health issue. Patients who are socially isolated may also be more likely to get sick. For some patients, regular visits with a doctor may be among their only social interactions, so some health experts have called on physicians to measure loneliness like any other vital sign and assess it as part of an elderly patient’s overall health.

UCLA Medical Center is also using the program as a way to study the impacts of loneliness on patient outcomes, according to the article.