Once a week, 26-year-old Isabel Ratner, a preschool teacher and filmmaker, makes the short trip from Bedford-Stuyvesant to Crown Heights to visit Dorothy Bembry-Guet, 83, a retired New York University Medical Center unit clerk in the nursing department.
Ratner said she was excited to recap Thanksgiving and Bembry-Guet said she was excited to get a special performance from her friend.
“She’s gonna bring a guitar to serenade me,” she said.
The two have formed a friendship for several months through the Friendly Visitor Program, one of the initiatives organized by the New York City Department for the Aging.
The program aims to reduce social isolation among adults aged 60 years or older who have difficulties leaving their homes by connecting them with volunteers who visit regularly.
Globally, 11.8 percent of older adults experience loneliness, according to the World Health Organization. That number is even higher for New Yorkers, with 17 percent of older adults experiencing high levels of loneliness, according to a report by the New York City Department for the Aging.
For New Yorkers, the affordability crisis makes it difficult for many to prioritize social interaction while navigating housing instability and putting food on the table, contributing to social withdrawal. Forty-one point two percent of older adults reported trouble paying at least one regular bill, according to the survey needs assessment by the Department for the Aging.
“Loneliness is an abnormal aspect of aging,” said Dawn Carr, professor and director of the Claude Pepper Center at Florida State University. “It’s a consequence of a situation or a life issue.”
Luckily, New Yorkers can help their older neighbors. Intergenerational connection can be transformative for an older person experiencing isolation and loneliness.
Ratner initially joined the Friendly Visitor Program because she didn’t have many older people in her life.
“I was really missing that,” she said.
Many older adults are initially skeptical about being matched with a young person, worried they won’t have much in common.
“Oftentimes the coordinator is like, ‘well, you want to just meet them,’” said Erin Neubauer-Keyes, coordinator of the Friendly Visiting Programming.
Bembry-Guet was unsure about the pairing, but quickly realized they had plenty to talk about, despite their age differences and life experiences.
“Those bonds, especially when they’re intergenerational, tend to be more potent, more powerful, because both people are gaining something in the process,” said Carr.
Loneliness is a silent epidemic for older adults, leading to an increased risk of heart disease, stroke and early death, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Meeting basic needs, such as housing, access to medical care, and nutrition, also contributes to the health and well-being of an older adult. When these needs are unmet, they can worsen life challenges that lead to loneliness and isolation. LiveOn NY is a nonprofit focused on affordable housing, access to food, and community support through their Age Strong campaign.
They strive to have a city “where New Yorkers can age in dignity,” said Frank Shintaro McMullin, communications specialist for LiveOn NY.
The department also provides various resources to support older adults through older adult centers and meal services.
Bembry-Guet receives a caseworker and meals delivered to her door from Heights and Hills, a Brooklyn nonprofit also supported by the department. Over time she has built relationships with the meal delivery staff, adding more social interaction throughout her week.
“It means that I get everything I need,” she said. “All I have to do is ask, and they follow up.”
Older adult centers across the city also offer food and activities, such as fitness classes and social events, for members to enjoy.
“They might come for the food, but then they have a reason to linger and stay and engage with others,” said Carr.
Forty-eight percent of those using older adult centers and home-delivered meal programs reported food insecurity in the past 12 months, according to a report by City Meals on Wheels. The Willoughby Older Adult Club in Fort Greene serves lunch, which is one of the biggest reasons people come into the center.
“A lot of them don’t cook, or don’t really have the stuff to cook at home, and so they do rely on the food,” said Quincey Ford, assistant program director.
These programs are all in an effort to ensure that older adults have the resources and community they need to thrive, which Carr refers to as a “social reserve.”
Whether through the visiting program or senior centers, these programs create connections and build friendships. For Bembry-Guet and Ratner, the program has been mutually beneficial.
“There’s just something about older generations that you just can’t find in younger generations,” said Ratner. “And I think there’s so much to learn and there’s so much perspective to be gained.”