Friendship at Assisted Living Communities

As people age, it's a sad fact of life that some of their friends and family members will move away or die. Someone who might've had many familial and friendship ties is suddenly left with a sense of loss and loneliness; coupled with the fact that older people may have trouble accomplishing tasks that were previously easy for them; one can see how quite quickly this can lead to a state of sadness that is hard to break. So how do you help a loved one?

Encouraging them to develop new friendships is one way. When your loved one moves into an assisted living facility, they will hopefully find a wealth of new potential friendships that can really help boost their spirits. Here's a look at the benefits of your loved one forming new friendships.

Mental Health

Forming elderly friendships allows your loved one to keep active mentally. As they converse about the past, family and even stories of the day, it allows them to stay engaged to life. People living in assisted living communities can greatly benefit since they are around so many other fellow seniors on a daily basis. It gives them ample opportunity to converse over a cup of coffee, meal in the dining room or on a trip hosted by the facility.

Common Bonds

People in general make friendships with others who have experiences similar to their own. Where you were born, your hobbies, sports teams you follow, your occupation, among others, may be some of the things that help you form common bonds. The same rings true for seniors living at assisted living facilities. Seniors who move locally might know some of the same people, have attended some of the same events over the years or had common experiences.  Those relocating from a distance might meet others who have traveled to their home state or have similar interests. Just the common experiences of their generation can pull people together.  All of these shared bonds serve to connect seniors and strengthen their relationships.

Positive Outlook

It is so critical that seniors maintain a positive outlook as they age. After all, as their bodies and mind may start to slow, keeping that outlook can prove to be a challenge. However, if they make new friendships, both parties can help each other maintain that positive outlook because they'll look forward to seeing each other and sharing new experiences together.

Key Takeaways:

• Senior friendships aid in keeping seniors sharp with daily tasks and improve overall mental health.

• Many senior friendships can be easily made as people living within assisted living communities often have similar experiences and social ties.

• A senior friendship can help establish and maintain the positive outlook or attitude that seniors have on life.