A Discussion About Social Isolation during COVID-19
In the midst of the COVID-19 global pandemic, another hidden public health crisis has emerged: loneliness.
Loneliness affects people of all ages, but older adults are particularly vulnerable. A recent study from the National Academy of Sciences reported that social isolation is associated with an increased risk of developing dementia and premature mortality.
In a webinar which aired in May 2020, hosted by the Milken Institute and entitled “Life in Isolation: How to Fight the Loneliness Epidemic”, leading expert PNI’s Dr. Scott Kaiser along with Arianna Huffington (Thrive Global; Founder, The Huffington Post) and Lisa Marsh Ryerson (AARP), discussed how COVID-19 has exacerbated the loneliness epidemic. Importantly, they help understand the healing power of human connection and what can be done to help deal with loneliness.
Watch the Discussion
About Dr. Scott Kaiser
Scott A. Kaiser, MD, is a board-certified family physician and geriatrician with executive leadership experience focused on the improvement of aging services, geriatric care, and population health. Dr. Kaiser completed his undergraduate studies at Vassar College with a degree in Science, Technology, and Society, and received his medical degree from the Keck School of Medicine of USC. He went on to train within the Lawrence Family Medicine Residency, the Harvard Geriatric Medicine Fellowship, and the UCLA Health Services Research Fellowship.
Dr. Kaiser serves as the Chief Innovation Officer of the Motion Picture & Television Fund—a non-profit providing safety-net services and support to the entertainment industry’s workforce and retirees—where he leads efforts to improve population health and well-being through a broad range of social and community-based interventions. Concurrently, as Director of Geriatric Cognitive Health at the Pacific Neuroscience Institute, he maintains a clinical practice focused on the prevention and management of dementia. Dr. Kaiser remains actively engaged in teaching, program development, community-outreach, and research and is an adjunct faculty member of the USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, serves on the boards of several non-profit organizations, and advises leaders seeking innovative solutions to meet the needs of an aging population.
References
Last updated: November 19th, 2021