Caregivers need to assist this underserved population. Understanding the magnitude of their plight is a start. Data from the National Health and Aging Trends Study found that 24% of community-dwelling older adults are socially isolated. A 2018 survey by the AARP Foundation found that more than 35% of adults aged 45 and older are lonely. Isolation and loneliness are distinct in that isolation is the actual state of having minimal contact with others, whereas loneliness is the subjective feeling of being socially alone and isolated. Both of these states are risk factors for physical and cognitive decline.Caregiving Network for caregivers.