SOCIAL Aging
Overview
South Carolina’s Operation to Confront Social Isolation and Loneliness (SOCIAL Aging) unites state and community organizations, as well as individuals, with a shared goal: to raise awareness and eliminate social isolation and loneliness among older adults. Established in September 2023, SOCIAL Aging operates under a collective impact model, with the Office for the Study of Aging serving as the backbone organization. The Coalition’s mission is to engage a diverse network of partners to address both the causes and adverse effects of social isolation and loneliness in South Carolina’s aging population. Members of the Coalition are actively involved in efforts to address social isolation, loneliness, and connectiveness in older adults.
To learn more about SOCIAL Aging or how to become involved, contact OSA@sc.edu.
History
In 2022, the South Carolina Institute of Medicine & Public Health, along with the Department on Aging, convened a statewide task force to identify approaches to address social isolation among older adults collaboratively. The task force met from October 2022 to April 2023 and released its final report, Addressing Social Isolation in Older Adults as a Determinant of Health , in June. The report identified recommendations to address policy, environmental, and programmatic changes to meet the evolving needs of South Carolina’s growing older adult population. As a result, the Office for the Study of Aging at the University of South Carolina was tasked with forming a statewide coalition, which launched in August 2023 and was formally named the following month.
Coalition Structure
SOCIAL Aging is modeled after the Collective Impact, which is a diverse group of individuals and organizations aligning together to achieve population and system-level change. The Steering Committee provides the guiding framework, but all members work together to successfully achieve goals and objectives to raise awareness and eliminate social isolation and loneliness among older adults across the state.
Coalition Participation
The Coalition is seeking individuals and agencies who are passionate about addressing the effects of social isolation and loneliness among older adults across the state. Membership to the Coalition is voluntary and provides various leadership opportunities. Time commitment varies depending on the type of membership chosen. View the SOCIAL Aging Member Descriptions for detailed information.