Seeing Oneself in the Face of the Other: The Value and Challenge of Human Connectedness for Older Adults

Connection with others is an essential part of our being as humans. Daily interactions provide chances to laugh, argue, empathize, and love. A lack of human connectedness can lead to loneliness, isolation, and deterioration of physical health. Older adults may encounter challenges in maintaining the connections they used to have or in forming new connections. Moreover, human connectedness is sometimes taken for granted and can slip away gradually, unnoticed at first; thus, older adults may find themselves disconnected and experiencing feelings of loneliness without being aware of the steps that brought them to that state. Nurses and other health professionals must be aware of this potential for disconnectedness so that they can offer support for making and sustaining connections and intentionally connect with a client as a whole person. [Journal of Psychosocial Nursing and Mental Health Services, 55(7), 13-17.].