Tragically, social isolation is a fact of life for many elderly Americans. Older adults are often unable to leave their homes and stay connected with their communities because of declining health. They have lost spouses and friends, putting them at risk for loneliness, depression, poor nutrition, and a host of other health problems. Even in cities such as Baltimore, they may go for days without seeing another person, and have no one to call for help. A community service organization composed of Johns Hopkins University medical and nursing students, SAGE is based on the premise that it is our responsibility to diminish elder loneliness. Social isolation among the elderly is a public health problem – one that will worsen because of the coming surge in the older population, unless we each do what we can to help our neighbors. At the heart of the program is also the idea that for medical and nursing students, spending time in the homes of older adults is an ideal way to become more sensitive, thoughtful healthcare professionals. By participating in SAGE, students experience the wisdom and warmth of the elderly, and witness the challenges of growing old.

Service: Individually or in pairs, medical and nursing students visit older Baltimore residents in their homes, working to end the social isolation and loneliness many seniors face on a daily basis. During the visits, students and their senior mentors explore each other’s interests and become friends. They may share meals, play boardgames, look at photographs, read aloud, sing, paint, plant flowers, knit, learn computer skills, take walks, etc.

Awareness: Medical education focuses on science, and as a result does not always leave students with a sense of what their patients’ lives are like outside the hospital. By inviting the students into their homes, senior mentors broaden the perspective and deepen the sensitivity of future doctors and nurses. In doing so, they help to train a generation of more considerate, thoughtful healthcare providers.

Geriatric Education: Fifteen years from now, it is projected that there will be 53 million Americans over age 65. By spending time with older adults in their homes, medical and nursing students learn how to provide the best possible care to their future patients, and are inspired to make the healthcare system fulfill the unmet needs of the aging population.