Too many older adults feel their world is getting smaller and smaller. Is yours?
As we age, life changes make us more isolated and less involved. We no longer shuttle kids to activities, bump into people at the laundromat or swap stories in the employee break room. We less frequently attend events, go to classes, sweat alongside gym buddies, grab coffee or meet for a meal. We see and hear less well and move more stiffly. Our life partners die and friends move away to be near family or into assisted living and memory care. We don’t get out of the house enough.
The National Institute of Health warns that isolation severely harms our mental and physical health with a huge impact on depression, heart disease, stroke, anxiety, longevity and cognitive decline. Humans need social stimulation. Lack of social connection can increase the risk of dementia by 50 percent, and researchers describe the damage from isolation as equivalent to smoking 15 cigarettes a day. Those with few social connections have a 50 percent increased risk of premature death from all causes.
Have you noticed these warning signs of isolation in yourself or others? Wearing the same clothes day after day, not bathing, weight loss, hoarding, irritability, anxiety, sadness, loss of purpose, shortened conversations, not returning calls/texts/emails, skipping gatherings, cancelling plans, physical inactivity, excessive sleeping during the day or chronic insomnia at night.
Each of us can improve our well-being by starting today to improve our relationships and connections. Help yourself and help others. Strike up a conversation. Smile. And, every day, “reach out and touch someone.” Texts and phone calls are a start, but they don’t replace face-to-face interactions.
We often do better together. We’re more likely to stop smoking and start exercising if our social contacts do. Laughter is contagious. Participate, engage, notice, care. How can you show kindness? How can you be of service? Be the one to break the ice. Invite someone to go with you, because most of us dread going alone.
Fortunately, Senior Village supports members getting out of the house – providing activities and helping members get there. Senior Village has an engaging monthly game day at the office, fun bi-monthly birthday parties with live entertainment and cupcakes for those 80 and over, and wonderfully entertaining monthly musical matinees open to all SaddleBrooke residents. Plus, volunteers drive members to the grocery store where they can encounter neighbors and help them attend art, dance, computer, and ILR classes. By providing transportation, activities, and encouragement Senior Village volunteers are reversing withdrawal and expanding our spheres. Get out and find out!
