Social bonds are important at every age. For children, staying social means forming friendships, learning about healthy interaction with others, and keeping the brain active as it grows. For adults, an active social life is an important part of leading a fulfilling, well-rounded life and can help ease some of the stress of daily living. The formula is no different for seniors, but it becomes even more important to make an effort to form social bonds as regular outlets like school and work are no longer there. Let’s explore the importance of staying social in our golden years:
Maintain Relationships – And Build New Ones
The human brain is a demanding organ, and it needs diverse stimulation. This can be a challenge for seniors who live alone. Social activities keep neurons firing and keep the brain active, so consider re-engaging in an old hobby or learning something new. Sign up for a cooking class, join a bridge club, attend a senior fitness class, or invite old friends over for a coffee date.
Keep Your Mind Stimulated
Cognitive sharpness is driven by exercise, nutrition, training, and learning – and social interaction. Studies link low social stimulation to depression, and high levels of social interaction to higher cognitive function, memory, and focus. Staying social can help reduce the risk of developing heart disease, Alzheimer’s, and arthritis. Keep your brain sharp, your body strong, and your mood high by participating in activities ranging from swimming lessons to scrapbooking.
Stay Social, Learn New Things
Seizing the opportunity to learn new things also
doubles as social interaction. Whether you choose to learn French, learn how to crochet, or sign up for a class about digital photography, you are learning something new and filling your social quota at the same time. However, you have to get out there and do things – learning French from a computer program doesn’t have the same benefit as real life immersion.
Sense of Purpose
Social interaction helps give seniors a sense of purpose and enjoyment in life. It can be as simple as having something to look forward to during the day. It can be sense of accomplishment that comes with winning a lawn bowling game or learning a new French word. Finally, it can be a sense of pride and well-being at being connected to the community.
Home medical equipment like wheelchairs and walkers makes it easier than ever to stay connected to the wider world in a safe and comfortable way. Get in touch with MEDability HME if you would like to learn more about home medical equipment, barrier-free home modifications, and our no-obligation in-home assessments!