Episode Description
In this thought-provoking episode, pharmacist Jenny Kirschner shares her personal experience of loneliness and the powerful benefits of addressing social isolation via pharmacy practice. As founder of PALS (Pharmacy Addressing Loneliness and Social Isolation), Jenny is leading an international initiative to embed social health as a core part of pharmaceutical care.
Jenny highlights the profound health impacts of loneliness and shares how pharmacists are uniquely placed to support their clients, through everyday moments of connection. From simple gestures like a warm greeting to structured social prescribing, Jenny illustrates how pharmacists and others can play a vital role in reducing loneliness, especially among older Australians.
In this episode:
- Discussing loneliness can be uncomfortable at first
- Loneliness looks and feels different for everyone
- Feeling lonely is not a mental health issue, it’s an emotion caused by your social needs not being met
- Loneliness is common and affects people of all ages
- Feeling lonely affects physical, mental and cognitive health
- In Australia, loneliness is the second highest risk factor for suicide
- The positive effects of social connection are profound
- Pharmacists see patients more often than many other health professionals, making them key players in social health
- The trusted relationships that pharmacists build with their patients allow them to be uniquely placed to address loneliness
- Social prescribing helps connect patients with meaningful activities and community supports
- Jenny developed the pharmacist training program on loneliness, a world first
- Simple actions you can offer an older person who might be lonely
Resources mentioned:
- PALS website
- Live Up website
- Ending loneliness together website
- WHO article about social connections and improved health
- WHO report "From loneliness to social connection"
Connect with Jenny Kirschner and PALS:
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More about Your Aged Care Compass podcast:
Do you support an older loved one at home and you're ready to give up because it’s just too hard? Your Aged Care Compass is for you.
We're Coral and Michelle, the sisters behind our business, See Me Aged Care Navigators.
Coral is a registered nurse with over 30 years’ experience in both health and aged care. A former assessor with the aged care assessment team, an advocate and author, there’s not much Coral doesn’t know about Australia’s aged care system.
Michelle is a former pharmacist with over 30 years in the public health and private sectors of pharmacy. Michelle is the client care manager for our business.
Our story started as one of supporting our parents to remain in their own home, to be as independent as possible and remain connected to their community. When we eventually needed extra support, we achieved this because we know Australia’s aged care system so well. We knew what programs could assist us and our parents.
Your Aged Care Compass podcast brings together not only our personal experience in supporting our parents but also our vast professional experience in supporting other families to keep their loved ones at home.
We'll help you makes sense of Australia’s aged care system and bring you topics related to ageing as well. Legal, financial, health, forward planning and more.
Your Aged Care Compass will guide you clearly and compassionately to the right support at the right time for your ageing parents and loved ones.
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