Helping Patients Address Loneliness During the Holidays

While often portrayed as a time of joy and togetherness, the holiday season can be a lonely time for many. Patients experiencing grief from a recent loss, family conflicts, social isolation, food insecurity, and limited social support, are particularly vulnerable to feelings of loneliness. The holiday season can worsen these feelings, impacting both mental and physical health negatively.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about one in three adults in the United States report feeling lonely, while about one in four adults report not having social and emotional support. Social isolation and loneliness can increase a patient’s risk for heart disease and stroke, Type 2 diabetes, along with behavioral health conditions like depression, anxiety, substance use disorder, and suicidality.

Identifying and Addressing Patient Loneliness

A medical provider is often the first, and sometimes only, person a patient may open up to about their feelings of loneliness and early intervention can help. You can connect your patients to the following Highmark Wholecare and community resources, according to their specific needs and coverage:

• Medicaid Members:
  • Highmark Wholecare can assist members in accessing mental health care in collaboration with Behavioral Health – Managed Care Organizations (BH-MCOs).
• Medicare (D-SNP) Members:
  • These members have access to a Behavioral Health Care Manager who can assist them in finding a provider to receive mental health care and treatment. Call Provider Services at 1-800-685-5209 to refer a patient.
• Medicare (D-SNP) and Medicaid Members:
  • For Pittsburgh-based Members, Thrive 18 assists with health-related social needs (HRSN).
  • Medical Respite Program: Members who have been discharged from an inpatient stay at certain Pittsburgh area hospitals and have identified experiencing homelessness to hospital staff, can be admitted to Bethlehem Haven, a medical respite facility in Pittsburgh.
  • For Spanish and Latino- Medicare and Medicaid Members in the Reading Area:
    • La Conexión coordinates care and addresses health-related social needs.
    • Blue Neighbors Book Club facilitates a rotating 4-week Book club among high-rise apartment buildings withing the Reading Housing Authority, to create social connections. Books are provided (in Spanish) and there is no cost to participate.
  • Suicide Prevention Hotline: As a reminder, if a patient is experiencing a mental health crisis, or is having thoughts of harming themselves or others, direct them to call the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988.

Addressing Food Insecurity

Additionally, your Highmark Wholecare patients experiencing food insecurity can face additional challenges when dealing with loneliness during the holidays. The following resources are available:

• Medicaid Members: Highmark Wholecare’s Health Innovations Food Box Program provides four food boxes delivered directly to members in certain Central Pennsylvania counties.
• Medicare (D-SNP) Members: Our 2024 benefits include a monthly allowance for healthy foods and/or utility payments.
• Allegheny Health Network (AHN) Healthy Food Centers (HFCs): These outpatient centers located on AHN hospital campuses serve as a resource for food-insecure patients. Click here for more information.

We encourage you to talk to your patients who are Highmark Wholecare members about their loneliness and refer them to resources that can help. For more information or to refer your patient to a Care Manager, please contact your Provider Account Liaison or call Provider Services at 1-800-685-5209. Medicaid patients who are in need of behavioral health treatment should be referred to their Behavioral Health – Managed Care Organization.