America is facing a loneliness epidemic, and U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy wants us to take it as seriously as we do tobacco use or obesity. In his 2023 report, he laid out stark statistics: loneliness increases our risk of everything from cardiovascular disease to premature death. Perhaps most troubling is that young people are the hardest hit, with an astonishing 79% of adults between 18 and 24 reporting feelings of loneliness.

But what if I told you that one of the most powerful solutions to this crisis might be found in an unexpected place: volunteering at your local nursing home?

The way we connect with others has fundamentally shifted in recent years. As Murthy pointedly observes, we've moved from having confidants to merely having contacts, from friends to followers. We're technically more connected than ever, yet somehow more isolated. This is where nursing home visits come in, though not in the way you might expect. At Bessie's Hope Legacy, we've discovered that learning to communicate with someone who has dementia or Alzheimer's demands something our modern world rarely asks of us: making a genuine, present-moment connection.

Think about it. When you're sitting with someone who has cognitive challenges, you can't hide behind a screen or rely on superficial small talk. You have to learn real communication skills – how to read body language, how to listen beyond words, how to be fully present. These are exactly the skills that Murthy suggests we're losing in our digital age, and they're the same skills that could transform all our relationships.

What makes nursing home visits particularly powerful is how they address all three factors that Murthy identifies as crucial to fighting loneliness: relationships, service, and community. When you learn to connect with someone who has dementia, you're developing communication muscles that will strengthen every relationship in your life. You're not just learning to talk; you're learning to truly connect.

The service aspect is clear – you're providing vital social interaction for residents. But here's what most people don't realize: the benefits flow both ways. Young visitors often tell us they receive far more than they give. There's something profoundly grounding about spending time with someone who has lived through decades of history, even if their memories are now fragmented. It pulls us out of our own small world of social media posts and daily stresses, connecting us to something larger than ourselves.

And that's where the community piece comes in. Every time someone visits a nursing home, they're helping to rebuild the intergenerational connections that used to be a natural part of community life. They're creating bridges between different parts of society that rarely interact anymore. In Murthy's recent conversation with Oprah, he emphasized that "building community is one of the most important things we can do for our health and wellbeing." Nursing home visits do exactly that, one conversation at a time.

Here's what's particularly exciting: while older adults certainly benefit from these visits, the impact on younger visitors can be transformative. Remember that statistic about 79% of young adults feeling lonely? When young people learn to communicate with nursing home residents, they develop confidence in their ability to connect deeply with someone. These skills transfer directly to their other relationships, helping them build the kind of meaningful connections that Murthy identifies as crucial to fighting loneliness.

The Surgeon General tells us that the solution to loneliness isn't about focusing more on ourselves – it's about connecting to something bigger. Visiting a nursing home might seem like a small act, but it's exactly the kind of meaningful, person-to-person connection that could help solve our loneliness epidemic. It pushes us beyond our comfort zones, teaches us invaluable communication skills, and reminds us that real connection isn't about the number of followers we have – it's about being truly present with another human being.

When we visit nursing homes, we're not just helping residents feel less lonely; we're helping ourselves build the skills and connections we all desperately need in today's world. Maybe it's time we all took a step away from our screens and into a nursing home. The solution to our loneliness epidemic might be waiting there, ready to share a story, a smile, or simply a moment of genuine human connection.

Reference

U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy: This is ‘one of the most powerful antidotes to loneliness’

https://www.cnbc.com/2025/01/06/surgeon-general-this-is-one-of-the-most-powerful-antidotes-to-loneliness.html