Interview with Laurie Theeke and Jennifer Mallow, authors of “Loneliness and Quality of Life in Chronically Ill Rural Older Adults” (September, 2013)

Jennifer Mallow (Left) & Laurie Theeke (Right) Loneliness is a contributing factor to various health problems in older adults. This pilot study of community-dwelling older adults in Appalachia showed the presence of significant loneliness and loneliness was significantly related to the number of comorbidities and use of several medications. Editor-in-chief Shawn Kennedy speaks with the authors about the implications for nurses in assessing and intervening in loneliness.