The Importance of Staying Social in Later Life and How to Stay Social
Socialization is an important part of human life, but it can diminish as we age. Older adults are more likely to go into social isolation due to staying at home more, or even because they’re living in a nursing home. Also, the peers of senior citizens are beginning to pass away, leaving them with less people to socialize with.
There are many reasons why seniors can become isolated, but there are also opportunities for them to remain socially active. Here’s why it’s important to stay social in later life and how senior citizens can stay social.
Table of Contents
5 Reasons Why Seniors Need to Stay Social
#1: Combats Depression
The biggest reason that senior citizens need to stay social is to avoid becoming clinically depressed. Social isolation can even cause some seniors to lose the will to live. Loneliness can lead to feelings of hopelessness, and feelings of hopelessness can be an indicator of depression.
#2: Improves Cognitive Function
Social interaction helps increase cognitive abilities in later adulthood, just as it does in early childhood. The only difference is that in later adulthood, it helps to combat different forms of dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease.
#3: Increases Lifespan
With that being said, having someone to talk to and engage in activities with gives seniors something to look forward to, as opposed to staying in their homes all day. In fact, studies have found that isolated seniors are more likely to die in five years than those who are socially active.
#4: More Opportunities to Become Physically Active
Socializing with others can introduce seniors to a more active lifestyle. This includes things like walking through the park, or even joining a fitness class. Being both physically active and socially active have positive effects on the overall health of senior citizens.
#5: New Support Systems
Social interaction with groups of people not only provide social support, but can also provide the senior with access to other types of assistance if needed.
5 Ways That Seniors Can Stay Social
#1: Embrace Technology
Social media isn’t just for the younger generations anymore. In fact, Facebook (the largest social media platform) is used by people of all ages, and is most popular among Baby Boomers (those born between 1946 and 1964). Senior citizens can stay in touch with family members and connect with new friends through social media.
#2: Group Activities
There are a lot of programs that allow senior citizens to engage in social activities with each other. An example of one of these programs is an adult day care, where senior citizens can participate in arts and crafts, book and film discussions, music, group fitness, group outings, and special events and celebrations.
#3: Local Activities
Local activities that are happening in the community can also be a great option for socializing. Senior citizens who are active in their communities have more freedom when it comes to staying social without having to feel the pressure of committing to group activities.
#4: Look into Companion Services
Companion services can be in the form of visitors in assisted living facilities, in the senior’s own home, or even adopting a pet. Volunteers, home health aides, and other qualified individuals can make great companions for seniors who can’t get out often. Pets also make great companions for seniors. Taking care of a pet keeps seniors active and gives them a sense of purpose.
#5: Retirement Communities
Retirement communities can be a great living option for senior citizens. They’re home-like settings that provide numerous amenities for seniors. There’s also medical and daily assistance available, if needed. Seniors are surrounded by people their own age, so they’ll have plenty of opportunities to socialize.
This is one of the best options for seniors when it comes to assisted living. Other forms of assisted living, such as nursing homes, have gotten a pretty bad reputation for abusing their patients. Nursing homes are also much more isolated than retirement communities, and the majority of patients have a lower quality of life— with the exception of high-quality nursing homes.
Social interaction is just as important for senior citizens as it is for anybody at any age. It may not seem like an important part of life later in life, but it really has an impact. Senior citizens (and those of any age) tnd to have the best quality of life when they’re eating healthy, staying active, abstaining from bad habits that are detrimental to health, and engaging in social interaction with others.