A recent study by the IBM Institute for Business Value (IBV) and the IBM Accessibility team found that for the aging population, loneliness is more than a state of mind – it is an emerging risk factor that has implications for personal, economic and societal well-being. This highlights how organizations in many industries can act to help older adults strengthen their social fabric and reconnect to others. To read the full report, please visit: ibm.biz/loneliness

1. ©2017 IBM Corporation1
How businesses and governments can address a looming public health crisis
Loneliness and the Aging Population

2. ©2017 IBM Corporation2
Loneliness in the aging population is a growing issue that has hidden
costs and impacts on individual, societal, and economic health
Estimated annual cost to
employers attributed to
caregiving- related
productivity loss
$33.6B
Increased risk of
dementia64%
Increased risk of
death26%
Increased risk of
cardiovascular heart
disease29%
Of older adults 60+
years old reported
feelings of
loneliness
43%
Value of unpaid services
provided by family
caregivers in care to
loved ones
$470B
34%
Healthcare spending
attributed to adults 65+,
despite being 14% of the
U.S. total population
Individual Risks Economic Impact
$

3. ©2017 IBM Corporation3
There are four key areas where loneliness particularly affects the
supporting infrastructure of older adults

4. ©2017 IBM Corporation4
Because loneliness is a multifaceted issue, current solutions often
experience obstacles preventing loneliness mitigation on a large scale

5. ©2017 IBM Corporation5
Industry and client stakeholders must understand and learn how to
adapt to the needs of older adults to develop their future aging strategy

6. ©2017 IBM Corporation6
To learn how your organization can help address loneliness in the
aging population, please contact
Heather Fraser
Global Life Sciences and Healthcare Lead
IBM Institute for Business Value
hfraser@uk.ibm.com
Sheila Zinck
Advocacy and Eminence program manager
IBM Accessibility Research
zincks@us.ibm.com
Nicola Palmarini
Global Manager for Aging and Accessibility Solutions
IBM Research
npalmar@us.ibm.com
Visit our to read the full
report on this topic:
https://ibm.biz/loneliness