Episode Summary
In this closing conversation of the Connection Is Medicine series, Roy sits down with Janet Zander and Meghan Christian to explore how communities, systems, and everyday interactions shape our collective health.
Janet Zander serves as the Advocacy & Public Policy Coordinator for the Greater Wisconsin Agency on Aging Resources (GWAAR) and is a founding member of the Wisconsin Coalition for Social Connection. A 16‑year volunteer emergency medical responder, she helps communities translate policy into purpose.
Meghan Christian is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with the Institute for Child and Family Well‑Being, where she integrates neuroscience, resilience research, and trauma‑informed care into direct practice and system change for children and families.
Together, they unpack the recent World Health Organization declaration of loneliness as a global public‑health crisis, reveal what disconnection looks like across both the youngest and oldest generations, and offer hope grounded in everyday action.
This episode is a follow-up to this article (link). You can check out the entire three-part series on loneliness and longevity at the Aging Well Firefighter website (link).
Key Topics Covered
The WHO’s 2025 report naming loneliness a worldwide public‑health threat
How children and older adults experience disconnection differently — and similarly
Why depth and frequency of relationships matter more than numbers
The biology of psychological safety and our innate need for connection
Intergenerational care: shared learning between early‑life and later‑life networks
Micro‑connections — small daily interactions that sustain communities
The importance of empathy and “emotional bandwidth” for first responders
Practical, person‑centered “prescriptions” for social connection
Memorable Quotes / Takeaways
“We’ve independenced our way into isolation.” – Meghan Christian
“Strength isn’t just carrying our call. We have to give ourselves grace and we have to carry each other.” – Janet Zander
“It’s not a one‑size‑fits‑all problem. What makes you feel connected might be totally different for someone else.”
“Even the quick ‘thinking of you’ text or the chat at the door when you deliver a meal — those minutes make a measurable difference.”
Memorable Takeaway: Connection is infrastructure. It must be designed, practiced, and protected the same way we maintain public safety — from early childhood interaction to aging services to the culture inside every firehouse.
Call to Action
Pause to notice the micro‑connections in your day — eye contact, small talk, shared errands.
Build interdependence: run the “mundane” errands with someone else.
Practice empathy in uniform and at home — remember that emotional readiness is part of operational readiness.
Explore and share the resources below to strengthen connection in your own community.
Connect with Our Guests
Janet Zander
LinkedIn → linkedin.com/in/janet-zander-advocacypublicpolicy
GWAAR on Facebook → facebook.com/GWAARWI
Wisconsin Aging Advocacy Network (WAAN) on Facebook → facebook.com/WAAN.ACTION
Explore the Wisconsin Coalition for Social Connection resources → connectwi.org
Meghan Christian — Institute for Child and Family Well‑Being
Strong Families, Thriving Children, Connected Communities Initiative → https://uwm.edu/icfw/strong-families-thriving-children-connected-communities-initiative/
Institute Website → uwm.edu/icfw
Facebook → facebook.com/institutechildfamilywellbeing
LinkedIn → linkedin.com/company/institute-for-child-and-family-well-being
Instagram → instagram.com/institutechildfamilywellbeing
Connect with Roy Smalley
Website & all links → www.roysmalley.us
Instagram → instagram.com/roysmalley.us
Facebook → facebook.com/roysmalley.us
LinkedIn → linkedin.com/in/roysmalley
Have a story about connection or resilience in the fire service or community life? Reach out — Roy would love to hear it or feature you on a future episode.
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