How seniors can connect with others and form fulfilling relationships.
As we age, it’s common to find our social circles shrinking. Making friends and building relationships as a child and young adult was fairly simple. You had opportunities to meet new people at school and through sporting events, and then later in the workplace. As you raised your family, you met other parents and neighbors as your children all played and grew up together.
However, as a senior, you might find that making new friends isn’t quite as easy as it used to be. After retirement, the opportunities to get out and meet people may have dwindled a bit, and access to the friends, neighbors and co-workers you used to spend time with is more limited too.
A study in American Sociological Review discussed the benefit of high-quality relationships and friendships on seniors’ well-being. Researchers found that the right relationships with friends and family are “more likely” to provide seniors with a “sense of belongingness, better self-esteem and well-being”.
Because avoiding social isolation in the elderly is so vital to overall health, finding ways to get out there and meet others in your later years is definitely worth the effort. While it might seem difficult, there are actually a variety of ways for seniors to make new friends. For instance:
Take part in social activities. For those seniors who recently moved to a senior living community, taking part in weekly social activities and events provide an easy way to meet others who share similar interests. These communities recognize the importance of staying socially active, and offer a variety of ways to get residents involved with their peers.
Consider volunteering your time. Hospitals, museums, churches, animal shelters and more are always looking for extra hands to help out. Volunteering allows you to meet new people while doing something worthwhile in the community.
Accept invitations from others. If someone you recently met invites you out to lunch or over for coffee, give it a chance. You might be surprised to find out how much you have in common! Stay in contact with old friends. If your friends aren’t close enough to visit often, utilize technology to keep in touch. Create a Facebook page or send some emails to easily connect with the friends you don’t get to see in person regularly.
Make friends with the caregivers. Caregivers can improve brain health for seniors through social interaction. The relationships they build and activities they provide can keep the senior’s brain active, healthy and ward off depression. Numerous clinical studies have found that friendships help to safeguard good health in later years. As caregivers provide companionship, they contribute to a senior’s long-term well-being.