There’s an expression; “Friends- you can’t live with them and you can’t live without them.” It appears that the latter is very true. Research proves that close connections to friends and family helps foster better health in seniors. Did you know that loneliness contributes to a significant decline in function and premature death in adults over 60? Equally important is that it’s not necessarily the number of friends you have, but more the quality of the relationships that really matter.

The size of people's social circles didn't matter as much as the quality of the interactions with particular individuals. Having a few close friends or family, with whom a person could visit often, was more important than a wider range of more casual friends.

“We have all heard of spouses that die within a few months of each other and I have always believed that profound loneliness and sadness must follow the loss of a lifetime partner. I believe that this loneliness played a role in my grandmother’s demise.

Loneliness is the "hidden killer" of elderly people, says a campaign group, which is calling for greater recognition of the link between isolation and ill health.The campaign says that almost one in 10 elderly people suffers from "intense" loneliness. Read the entire article here.

There is good news.  Because isolation has been identified as a major risk factor for morbidity and mortality in older adults, extensive research has been conducted to find ways to prevent it. There are strategies proven to help elevate moods and stave off feelings of isolation and loneliness.

Click this link for the chart of potentially inappropriate medications, their therapeutic alternatives, and medications to consider initiating in the elderly that incorporates the STOPP and START criteria. Use these lists to identify red flags that might require intervention, not as the final word on medication appropriateness; look at the total patient picture.

Some current strategies available to address this complex issue include “START” (Screening Tool to Alert doctors to the Right Treatment) and “STOPP” (Screening Tool of Older Person’s potentially inappropriate Prescriptions) criteria.  Read the entire article here.

Patients, physicians and pharmacists can work together to help prevent theproblems that might occur if an older adult is taking several medications.

(CBSNews) Problems with taking multiple drugs are not limited to drug abusers. In the last 10 years, the percentage of people over 60 who take five or more medications has jumped from 22 percent to 37 percent. CBS News medical correspondent Dr. Jon LaPook looks into the risks.