Takeaway
Loneliness is a clinical concern that quietly erodes health. Consider encouraging community-based activities such as joining a choir, dance group, or volunteer organization.
Lifelong learning in clinical excellence | November 4, 2026 | 2 min read
By Zeina Moukarzel, MD, MPH, MHA, Hôpital Libanais Geitaoui, Lebanon (retired)
Mrs. Hilda was a 74-year-old retired schoolteacher. Her blood pressure was 128/76, her labs were normal, and her medication list was mercifully short. By every number on my screen, she was well. As I closed the visit, she moved slowly toward the door. “The days are very long now,” she said. “Some weeks, the pharmacist is the only person I talk to.”
Clinicians are trained to hear a murmur through a stethoscope, but loneliness rarely sounds so clear. It may arrive in our exam room disguised as fatigue, poor sleep, a vague ache, or a lingering departure. It’s not a “soft” concern—it’s associated with heart disease, depression, cognitive decline, and frailty, and it quietly erodes the very health we work hard to protect.
Healthy aging doesn’t just mean normal labs. It’s the freedom to keep doing what gives life meaning—learning something new, feeling needed, belonging somewhere. Purpose and connection aren’t extras—they’re part of the same foundation of health that also includes sleep, movement, and nutrition.
So, what can we offer beyond closing the visit with, “You’re in good health—see you next year”?
Encouraging patients to engage with the arts is one answer. Singing, painting, dancing, and theater ask the body to move, the mind to learn, and the heart to show up alongside others. Practicing these activities in community can ease loneliness, lift mood, and for older adults, help maintain memory and balance.
For Mrs. Hilda, I wrote a short prescription based on her interests:
1. Join a community choir.
2. Volunteer at the local library. The next time I saw her, her labs were still normal—but this time she arrived smiling, with a choir folder under her arm and a coffee date set for Thursday.
What we can do to support patients who feel lonely
Consider asking:
1. “Who do you talk to in a typical week?”
2. “What did you love doing in childhood and young adulthood?”
This second question often points the way to a choir, painting class, book club, volunteer organization, or walking group.
Then treat it like any other prescription: follow up at the next visit. Consider asking, “Who have you connected with recently?”
Author’s note: This is a personal piece. After I retired and my children left home, I sometimes felt like Mrs. Hilda. This year, I helped launch a new initiative with a team from around the world: ARISE-R, which grew out of the Global Arts in Medicine Fellowship, Cohort 11. ARISE-R advocates for arts, purpose, and social connection as pillars of healthy aging, and encourages clinicians to ask about loneliness routinely. We would love to connect with you on Instagram @ariserproject and on LinkedIn at ARISE-R.
This piece expresses the views solely of the author. It does not necessarily represent the views of any organization, including Johns Hopkins Medicine.