Eagle County Public Health Aging Well to host speaker event on loneliness May 22

Eagle County Public Health will host an event titled “The Loneliness Epidemic and Staying Connected” from 5 to 7:30 p.m. May 22 in the lecture hall of Colorado Mountain College in Edwards. Appetizers will be served from 5 to 5:30 p.m. and the presentation will follow.

The event will feature Jane Barton, who has authored over 75 peer-reviewed articles on geriatric psychiatry. She specializes in late-life depression and dementia and caregiver stress. Barton is a passionate speaker, writer, and listener. She leads and writes educational programs, books, and blogs to assist people in confronting the daunting challenges posed by aging, caregiving, and the end of life.

Loneliness has been recently recognized as a national and global public health issue. Research shows reports of loneliness are on the rise across the country, with serious consequences including shorter life expectancy, lower quality of life and chronic health conditions. 

The event is free but capacity is limited. Those interested in attending are asked to RSVP by May 13 by calling 970-328-8896 or emailing healthyaging@eaglecounty.us.

The presentation is being sponsored by Eagle County Healthy Aging, Alpine Area Agency on Aging and AARP Colorado. For more information, contact Carly Rietmann at carly.rietmann@eaglecounty.us or at 970-328-8896.