HUMANS DEPEND ON touch. Growing research demonstrates its beneficial effects: skin-to-skin contact has been shown to accelerate growth in premature infants, and hand massage reduces the stress-induced cortisol in those with dementia. Touch given and received with care and kindness has the capacity to stimulate brain receptors that activate the lymphatic system, which boosts the body’s natural defenses, augments well-being, and increases the capacity for compassion. An arm around the shoulder from a friend or a hug from a loved one communicates without words an array of affirmations including safety, connection, trust, and collaboration.

At the end of 2020, our radically physically distanced world was starved for contact. The global pandemic’s enduring mandate to remain physically distant was compounded by the darkest days of the year. Concerns about the impact of touch deprivation had been voiced within a month of orders to shelter in place. And yet, nearly ten months later, many around the world were still living apart, aware of the growing contradiction of forced separation imposed by a global public health crisis and the fundamental need for physical contact.

Some of the most palpably affected by absence of touch were seniors living alone or in assisted living facilities. Formerly connected to vibrant lives through social groups and the circulation of family and friends, these actively engaged bodies and minds were ordered to quarantine, with in-person human interaction mediated by masks, gloves, and plastic sheeting. Conditions that already posed risks for this age group, including depression, anxiety, irritability, and dementia saw a dramatic uptick during this time.