They motivate us. They make us feel better. They play a major role in healthy aging. Friends and social connections: maybe the most powerful element in total wellness. And a major benefit of today’s senior living.
The importance of social connections for seniors
When it comes to healthy aging, being around people you enjoy is like a wonder drug with long-lasting benefits. You look forward to getting up in the morning. You walk a little lighter. You are more interested in accepting invitations to dine with someone, have a lively conversation, or attend an event.
Friends just seem to make everything better. You feel inspired when you are around a good friend, and you feel wanted. There’s a feeling of belonging and a sense of purpose that you most likely would not have if you were isolated and had few social interactions.
Here’s just a few of the positive benefits that socializing can bring:
- Your brain is sharper.
- Your mood is brighter.
- Your self-esteem increases.
- You feel a sense of purpose.
- You sleep better.
- Your immune system is stronger.
And maybe most important, you avoid the negative effects of isolation and loneliness, which can be quite harmful and keep you from staying on the path to healthy aging. These can include a greater risk of premature death, from heart attacks, diabetes, dementia and other chronic illness. In addition, not having enough social contact can lead to anxiety and depression and also put a person at higher risk for stroke and Type 2 diabetes.
Related: The Role of Social Interaction in Senior Health & Aging Gracefully
Simply put, friends are good for healthy aging
Today’s senior living is keenly focused on the importance of social connections for seniors. Here’s just a few of the many opportunities you can find for socializing in a senior living community:
Dining
Eating alone at home gets boring pretty quickly, especially if you’re eating the same foods with little variation and the only company is the evening news on television. You’re simply more likely to skip a meal or eat foods that are not good for you, which can lead to poor nutrition and poor health.
In senior living, just steps away, there are friendly, interesting people just like you who would love a dinner companion. You also enjoy the ambiance of a welcoming and lovely venue; much more inviting than eating at the kitchen table. And the fare in senior living is prepared for good nutrition and good taste—a winning situation all the way around!
Fitness
It’s pretty hard to motivate yourself to exercise when you’re doing it on your own, alone, without instruction or anyone to assist you. It’s just too easy to not do it at all, which is not helpful for anyone with joints that get stiff after hours of sitting.
In senior living, you not only have senior-friendly equipment available, but you can also benefit from instruction and guidance on how to best achieve your goals. And best of all, you can join others in classes, activities, walking groups, and more—great ways to have fun, stay active and in shape, and be much more motivated to get up in the morning and do your routine. It might be exercise, but with others by your side, it can be a lot of fun!
Special events
Birthdays, anniversaries, special occasions: here’s when the importance of social connections in healthy aging is really clear. Few people enjoy celebrating a birthday alone. For those who have lost a friend, or a spouse, an anniversary can become quite lonely if you are the only one there.
But in senior living, you can be as social as you choose, knowing you are surrounded by a friendly group of peers who understand and want to help you mark the occasion in a way that is meaningful for you. It makes a big difference to know others care—further demonstrating the importance of social connections for seniors.
Lifelong learning
Being isolated and trying to learn something new isn’t much fun. It often isn’t even possible. However, in senior living, joining with others to expand your mind and learn new things is a daily listing on the community’s monthly calendar.
It might be a lecture on a European country. How to make a pasta dish. A history lesson about a famous WWII battle. Wii bowling. Painting with watercolors. There’s usually a well-stocked library where you can catch up on the day’s events or join in a book club discussion. Rubbing shoulders with people from all types of backgrounds and experiences is not only a wonderful way to learn new things, but also a great way to stay on the path to healthy aging.
Related: Discover Daily Life in Senior Living Communities
More opportunities to make friends and the path healthy aging: you’ll find it all right here. At PMMA, we weave wellness into daily life. And that means offering everything from concerts and speakers to off-site activities and day trips to mahjong and domino—fun and engaging ways to bring our residents together for good, healthy socializing.
Download our brochure or contact us to learn more and to schedule your personalized tour.
