NBHC Population Health
September 30, 2018
Inspired by a program in the U.K. which prescribed activities such as bingo, gardening and visits to a coffee shop to patients, a pilot-project by the province has doctors prescribing social activities to people suffering from loneliness. Funded by the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care, the program will be piloted in 11 community health centers. Loneliness is associated with higher levels of cortisol as well as an increased risk of heart attack and stroke. In older adults especially, it's associated with poorer cognitive function and an increased risk of falls. In the U.K., such a program led to a 25% decrease in visits to doctors and ERs.
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Loneliness among over-50s 'is looming public health concern' - The Guardian