“Recent research has found that loneliness can be just as, if not more lethal than smoking 15 cigarettes a day.”

“Loneliness presents a big risk for premature death, particularly in older people and can be associated with depression and a faster rate of cognitive decline and dementia.”

“Older people are most susceptible to feeling loneliness especially when we’re all busy shopping for last minute Chrissy presents, which is why the best present you can give this year is presence,” he said.

From improving our health and happiness to promoting a sense of belonging, boosting mood and making friends, the case for volunteering is strong which is why Bupa's volunteer program is so powerful in combatting loneliness in some of our residents who may not get regular visitors. 

Loneliness isn't the same thing as being alone. Some isolation is good for your mental wellbeing. But Dr Ross says that being alone needs to be a choice in order for it to be healthy.

“Older people who want companionship yet lack visitors are more likely to experience the physical and emotional effects of being alone.”

“Technology can help or hurt, it's simply a tool but for too many people technology has led to substituting online connections for offline in-person encounters and for older people who are not tech savvy and grew up without social media, the reality is bleak.”

Financial woes, health scares, and everyday issues can take a bigger emotional toll on people who lack social and emotional support.

"As a society, we have grown our Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat friends, but our personal connections and interactions have deteriorated.”

“If you or a loved one are struggling to combat loneliness, seek professional help by either going to see your GP or head to www.beyondblue.org.au for tips on how to maintain a positive mind-set or feel free to call our aged care support line on 1800 957 237.”

“Depression and other mental health issues can cause you to feel disconnected which can create a self-perpetuating cycle that can be difficult to break, while not easy, with the right support, wellness is possible,” he said.

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The Yale University led study examined whether culture-based age beliefs influence the risk of developing dementia among older people, including those who carry the high-risk gene variant APOE ε4.

Participants' were assessed using an "Attitude toward Ageing" scale, where they were asked about the degree to which they agreed or disagreed with statements such as, "The older I get, the more useless I feel.”

“We found that positive age beliefs can reduce the risk of one of the most established genetic risk factors of dementia,” said lead author Becca Levy, a professor of public health and of psychology at Yale.

Among those with the APOE ε4 gene, those with positive beliefs about age, were 49.8% less likely to develop dementia than those with negative age beliefs.

The results suggest positive age beliefs, which are modifiable and have been found to reduce stress, can act as a protective factor, even for older people at high risk of dementia.

“This makes a case for implementing a public health campaign against ageism, which is a source of negative age beliefs,” said Professor Levy.

In Australia, dementia is the second leading cause of death of Australians contributing to 5.4% of all deaths in males and 10.6% of all deaths in females each year.

Here’s snapshot of what dementia in Australia looks like now. It’s sobering reading.

• In 2016 dementia became the leading cause of death among Australian females, surpassing heart disease which has been the leading cause of death for both males and females since the early 20th century^[1]. Females account for 64.4% of all dementia related deaths
• In 2018, there is an estimated 425,416 Australians living with dementia
  • 191,367 (45%) males
  • 234,049 (55%) females
• Without a medical breakthrough, the number of people with dementia is expected to increase to 536,164 by 2025 and almost 1,100,890 by 2056
• Currently an estimated 250 people are joining the population with dementia each day.
• The number of new cases of dementia will increase to 318 people per day by 2025 and more than 650 people by 2056
• Three in 10 people over the age of 85 and almost one in 10 people over 65 have dementia
• In 2018, there is an estimated 26,443 people with younger onset dementia, expected to rise to 29,375 people by 2025 and 42,252 people by 2056
• An average of 36 people died per day where dementia was the underlying cause of death in 2016. Of the 13,126 people that lost their lives, 8,447 were female

So, when he discovered a cello he'd bought was almost a hundred years old, he was curious to find out more about the man who made it.

A sticker on the inside of the hand-crafted instrument provided him a with a clue - the name of a highly regarded cello maker: Nelson Hardy Oliver.

A violin maker himself, Andre became determined to find out if Nelson had any surviving relatives.

“I realised in my searches on ancestry.com that he may well have one surviving child. So, I became pretty anxious to find her in the hope of being able to play her this cello,” Andre says.

But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t work out where Vivienne was, or if she was still alive.

So, he employed a genealogist to help.

“And at that point I knew that I had to just book my ticket and fly here with the cello.”

Vivienne Groves turns 98 this month. She lives with dementia in Bupa Croydon, an aged care home, and has very limited short term memory. But she has clear childhood recollections of watching her father make instruments.

“I was always around when he was making them. He’d be out in the garage somewhere and I’d be there too. I’d just be watching. You didn’t interfere with someone making an instrument,” Vivienne chuckled.

Years later, music still has a very powerful impact on Vivienne.

“Mentally, she could sit there and play the music over and over in her head,” says her great-niece Catherine Jones. “She’s not a really social person, but the music in her head is alive and I think that’s what has kept her brain so active and in tune for so long.”

When Vivienne was told that a man wanted to see her who would bring a cello which her father had made, for some unknown reason the conversation stuck in her mind.

“She doesn’t remember many of our conversations,” says her niece Rosemary Jones, “But for some reason she remembered the conversation about the cello. She kept asking me, when can I see it? When is the man with the cello coming?”

When Andre learnt that Vivienne was living with dementia and had lost much of her short-term memory, he was apprehensive about how his visit would be received.

But her reaction was priceless.

Vivienne lit up when she saw him and embraced him warmly. “I didn’t know whether I was even going to meet you at all!” she said.

True to his word, Andre took out the instrument and played it for Vivienne.

Then, to the surprise of all watching, she took hold of it the bow and started playing.

Her nieces, nephews, great nieces and great nephews had all come to watch, and there was barely a dry eye in the room.

A few minutes later, she’d forgotten again.

“I can play the cello but I haven’t played it for a while,” she said.

When prompted, “I think you might have played it this afternoon,” she responded, “Nah, I don’t think so.”

While her moment of clarity may have been brief, it was one her family will never forget.

Despite the years that have passed, the cello is still in remarkably good condition, and its sound is still as warm as ever. The cello is one of only three that Nelson ever made, along with 17 violins, and a range of violas.

Remarkable to some, but not to Vivienne.

“Why would it be amazing? I was there when he made it. Our family never made a fuss about anything that was going on. It was just done.”

At the heart of Bupa’s care is the Person First approach, which is about making an emotional connection with the person, understanding their background, as well as tending to their physical care needs. The Person First approach is especially important for people with dementia.

Find out more about Bupa Aged Care here.