‘Social prescribing’ may help lonely older adults to avoid harmful sedatives and painkillers

Lonely, older adults are nearly twice as likely to use opioids to ease pain and two-and-a-half times more likely to use sedatives and anti-anxiety medications, putting themselves at risk for drug dependency, impaired attention, falls and other accidents, and further cognitive impairment, according to a study by researchers at UC San Francisco. ‘Social prescribing’ may help lonely older adults to avoid harmful sedatives and painkillers