It takes action and sacrifice to include our elders in our life – but where loneliness persists, ill health follows

‘Slowing down, literally and otherwise, to include the elderly takes self-awareness and consistent effort,’ writes Ranjana Srivastava. Photograph: kali9/Getty Images

I call my friend to chat only to find her grappling with funeral arrangements; her usually composed voice chokes and I develop a tear in my eye myself. Our friendship traverses not only our training and her stellar career but also time spent in our obstetrician’s waiting room, frantically searching the zoo for lost children and deciding which dog to get.

It’s natural to wish that no misfortune ever clouds the days of those we hold dear, but this is as unrealistic as wishing the sun never set.