The Power of Social Connection for Community Well-Being

Social connection is vital to community well-being. It fosters support, resilience, and a shared sense of belonging that strengthens both individuals and the community as a whole. In this episode of Aging Fast & Slow, we explore the impact of social connection on community resilience. Dr. Thomas Cudjoe from Johns Hopkins School of Medicine shares research on how isolation affects health and community strength and strategies to foster social connection. Tune in to learn how we can build more connected, resilient communities.

REFERENCES:

• Cudjoe TKM, Boyd CM, Wolff JL, Roth DL. Advance care planning: Social isolation matters. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2020 April.
• Cudjoe TKM, Kotwal AA. Social distancing amid a crisis in social isolation and loneliness. J Am Geri Soc 2020 May 20.
• Cudjoe TKM, Roth DL, Szanton SL, Wolff JL, Boyd CM, Thorpe Jr., RJ. The epidemiology of social isolation: National Health & Aging Trends Study. J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci. 2020 Jan 1.
• Cudjoe TKM, Selvakumar S, Chung S, Latkin CA, Roth DL, Thorpe Jr., RJ, Boyd CM. (2021). Getting under the Skin: Social isolation and biological markers in the National Health and Aging Trends Study. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.
• Golden SH, Cudjoe TKM, Galiatsatos P, Brownlee D, Flanagan E, Crews DC, Maruthur N, Brown M, Ashby A, Hellmann DB, Knox T, Anderson ME. A perspective on the Baltimore Freddie Gray riots: Turning tragedy into civic engagement and culture change in an academic department of medicine. Acad Med. 2018 December.