Murphy, Gillibrand Introduce Bill to Help Seniors Struggling with Loneliness, Connect Aging and Disabled Americans to Community

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), a member of the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Ranking Member of the Senate Aging Committee, on Wednesday introduced the Addressing Social Isolation and Loneliness in Older Adults (SILO) Act, legislation to combat loneliness in our senior and disabled populations by providing $62.5 million in annual grant funding to support community-based organizations dedicated to fostering social connection in these at-risk groups.

"Loneliness can be a silent killer for the elderly and people with disabilities and we need to do a lot more to protect these vulnerable groups from social isolation and help them find community," said Murphy. "The challenge of loneliness isn't going anywhere and the social connection safety net this bill funds is among the best investments we can make for the mental and physical health of our seniors."

Seniors and people with disabilities face unique challenges making and maintaining strong social connections, including diminished mobility, limited access to transportation, and the loss of a loved one or caretaker. Over one-third of adults and people with chronic disabilities report experiencing loneliness, and both groups face disproportionate rates of severe loneliness, leading to ailments including stroke, heart disease, diabetes, and depression. For seniors and people with disabilities, the health risks associated with loneliness are a matter of life and death: socially isolated seniors face a 45 percent greater risk of early mortality, a 31 percent greater risk of dementia, and a 14 percent higher risk of Alzheimer's.

The SILO Act provides $62.5 million in annual funding to support area agencies on aging (AAA) and community-based organizations in:

• Providing training for their staff to combat and prevent social isolation and loneliness;
• Conducting outreach to at-risk individuals;
• 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.

The SILO Act is endorsed by the following organizations: USAging, Elder Justice Coalition, Foundation for Social Connection Action Network.

"The Foundation for Social Connection Action Network proudly endorses the Addressing SILO Act and the National Strategy for Social Connection Act. America's epidemic of loneliness demands a coordinated, government-wide response, particularly for older adults and people with disabilities. Taken together, these two pieces of legislation prioritize resources for the area agencies on aging and community-based organizations and establishes an Office of Social Connection Policy and federal strategy that touches housing, transportation, health, education, and labor. Both bills reflect our vision: social connection policy cannot be a siloed, it must be woven into the fabric of how government and communities serve people. We commend Sen. Murphy for his leadership and stand ready to work alongside him to make social connection a national priority," said Andrew MacPherson, Founder and Board Chair, Foundation for Social Connection Action Network.

"The bipartisan Elder Justice Coalition strongly supports the Addressing SILO Act and the call for a long overdue National Strategy for Social Connection. The issue of isolation and loneliness claims many victims of all ages, with an obvious linkage to elder abuse. For years, the average victim of elder abuse has been an older woman living alone. We also know that the two largest forms of elder abuse, financial abuse and self-neglect, can be tied directly to isolation and loneliness. We commend Senator Murphy for his steadfast leadership in lifting social connectedness to a national priority," said Bob Blancato, National Coordinator, Elder Justice Coalition.

In tandem with the SILO Act, Murphy introduced the National Strategy for Social Connection Act, legislation to create a permanent Office of Social Connection Policy in the White House to address epidemic-levels of loneliness and social isolation and revitalize community and connection throughout the United States.

A one-pager for the bill is available here. Full bill text is available here.