Tuesday, February 9, 2021 2:00 – 3:30 EST
Alone, Lonely or Just Bored: Preventing Social Isolation During the Pandemic with Kathleen McInnis-Dittrich, PhD, ACSW
COVID-19 poses special challenges for older adults balancing their safety with the innate need to connect with other people. Dr. McInnis-Dittrich will explore the differences between being (happily) alone with the potentially dangerous state of being lonely. She will discuss how to recognize when “alone-time” starts to become a problem. She will also talk about confronting loneliness and the difference between loneliness and just plain boredom. Dr. McInnis-Dittrich’s presentation incorporates the current research on these significant mental health issues while offering concrete strategies for finding a more satisfying balance between staying safe this winter and maintaining (or developing) connections with others.
Kathleen McInnis-Dittrich is a retired Associate Professor at the Boston College School of Social Work where she served as Chair of the Older Adults and Families Concentration. She received her undergraduate degree at Marquette University, her Master of Social Work at Tulane University and her Ph.D. at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She has published extensively on social work practice and mental health concerns of older adults, mobilizing community resources for older adults and end-of-life issues. Since retirement, she is actively involved as a Medicare counselor with the SHINE program at Ethos and as a consultant for the JP at Home and Beacon Hill Village Virtual Retirement Communities.
This virtual program is presented in partnership with the Boston Public Library, as part of Beacon Hill Village’s Living Well Ending Well series. Closed captioning is available. Registration required online here or by calling Beacon Hill Village at 617-723-9713. Registrants will receive the Zoom link for the program. Free and open to the public.