According to Our World in Data, people can, in theory, get to know at least 80,000 people within their lifetime. To do this, they just need to converse with at least three new people every day for the next 73 years. Among this vast array of individuals people meet are those with whom they can build a social connection.
A retirement or assisted living community can be the perfect environment for older adults to find, form, and nurture various types of friends and social connections.
To that end, our team at Meadowview Place in Nacogdoches, TX, put together this guide on senior friendships. Please read on to learn their benefits, how to build new ones, and tips for nurturing these social relationships.
Benefits of Friendship for Older Adults
Loneliness and isolation are prevalent in adults. According to the U.S. CDC, one in three feel lonely, while one in four lack social and emotional support. The agency also says that they can raise a person’s risk for illnesses like:
- Type 2 diabetes
- Heart disease
- Stroke
- Dementia
- Mental health problems, including anxiety and depression
Healthy friend dynamics and social connections can help seniors combat isolation. For those residing in a warm and welcoming assisted living community, such as Meadowview Place in Nacogdoches, TX, having friends and interacting with them regularly can help prevent them from feeling isolated and lonely.
Aging Healthily Together
Among the most common types of friends seniors should have and strengthen their relationships with are other older adults who share the same interests and healthy living goals.
Having friends with the same interests makes staying social easier. They can always find something to do that both parties will enjoy. Whether gardening, knitting, painting, or chess, friends like this make physically and mentally engaging activities more fun.
Nurturing friends who want to live healthily helps both parties achieve their goals. They’re more likely to encourage each other to participate in activities to help them thrive in their golden years together.
Protection Against Mental Health Woes
Researchers say there’s a close link between friendships and mental health.
For instance, according to the American Psychological Association (APA), adult friendships, particularly those providing companionship and social support, are significant predictors of well-being. They can also protect against mental health illnesses, such as anxiety and depression. Researchers say this may be because being with friends may lower blood pressure and heart rate reactivity.
How Seniors in Assisted Living Can Make Different Types of Friends
An assisted living community provides many opportunities for older adults to make “generational” and “intergenerational” friends. Generational friends are from the same generation (e.g., other baby boomers). Intergenerational friends are those from other generations (e.g., the silent generation, Gen X, millennials, etc.).
Here are some tips for finding new and varied connections for seniors in retirement communities like Meadowview Place.
Participate in Community Activities
One of the best ways to form new social connections in a retirement or assisted living community is to join group activities.
At Meadowview Place, we offer our residents numerous opportunities to socialize, have fun, and achieve their health, fitness, and wellness goals. Examples of group activities our seniors can enjoy and engage in are:
- Mahjong and other rousing games
- Educational programming
- Social and recreational programs, like ice cream social days
- Wellness programs, such as Qigong
- Movie nights
- Bible study
- Karaoke
- Pet therapy
Aside from meeting new folks within your same generation, joining community activities also lets you form social connections with older or younger people. For example, if you’re in the baby boomer generation, you may have fellow residents who belong to the silent generation. As for younger people, you’ll find them in your community’s compassionate and friendly staff members and other residents’ caring family members.
Volunteering and Community Service
Seniors in retirement or assisted living communities can also make generational and intergenerational friends by volunteering their time in community service. Volunteer work is an excellent way to form social connections, stay physically active, and give back to the community. It lets older adults meet people of all ages and, depending on the work, even pets!
Volunteering to do something meaningful can also help older adults regain a sense of purpose and feel more connected to the community or neighborhood. Such positive emotions and states of mind can make them less likely to experience loneliness or isolation.
The Mayo Clinic Health System says research backs these benefits up and states that volunteering benefits seniors’ mental and physical health and well-being.
The Nacogdoches Senior Center is an excellent source of information for volunteer work in the area. It connects adults 55 and older with agencies and programs looking for volunteers. Some examples of volunteer work they offer are:
- Tutoring and mentoring younger people
- Helping out at the public library
- Community gardening
- Food pantries
- Organizing exercise programs for seniors
Nurturing Friendships for Long-Lasting Bonds
Maintaining new connections and transforming them into long-lasting friendships aren’t labor-intensive. However, it requires commitment and effort.
Here are some strategies seniors can use to strengthen friendships and enjoy them for life:
- Staying connected, whether in person, via text messages, or phone/video calls
- Continued participation in shared activities that both parties enjoy
- Providing support when friends are down or need companionship
- Celebrating milestones and remembering birthdays or anniversaries
One way to boost both parties’ enjoyment of staying connected is to have healthy meals together. Sharing food makes people feel good because breaking bread with others is often more pleasurable than eating alone. Good food, when shared, can also enhance people’s sense of contentedness and raise feelings of well-being.
Find New Friends at Meadowview Place
Making and nurturing different types of friends are vital to older adults’ overall health and well-being. They provide companionship and support, helping seniors avoid loneliness and isolation.
So, if you or an older loved one is looking for an environment that fosters friendships, look no further than Meadowview Place. Our vibrant assisted living community in Nacogdoches, TX, commits our time to helping our residents stay social and engaged. We have many events and activities that let our residents find and make new friends they can keep for life.
Schedule your visit today to see how friendly and happy our staff and residents are!
