For many adults, socialization is part and parcel of everyday life, as days are filled to overflowing with work, volunteering, shuttling kids to various activities, family responsibilities and obligations; and carving out a little time alone can be challenging. As responsibilities naturally begin to lessen through the aging process, however, the socialization pendulum tends to swing the other direction, and loneliness from social isolation can start to creep in.
Since staying social as we age includes such powerful benefits as a 70% lower instance of cognitive decline, we encourage you to try some of these tips with your senior loved ones:
- Tap into social media. With more and more seniors learning to navigate the Internet, social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter and Skype are a wonderful, fun way to stay connected with family and friends, even from a distance or while homebound.
- Play well with others. Board games, card games, puzzles, and even video games that are played against others provide the additional benefit of stimulating the brain while allowing for social engagement and enjoyment.
- Join the crowd. There’s a whole world of opportunity for seniors to participate in clubs based on specific hobbies: garden clubs, book clubs, art clubs, etc., offering the opportunity to make new friends with similar interests and share knowledge.
- Get busy. Retiring from a lifelong career doesn’t mean that seniors have nothing more to offer to society. The years following retirement can be the perfect time to explore part-time employment in a particular field of interest, or a chance to volunteer and make a real difference in the lives of those in the community.
- Nurture family relationships. Offering to babysit for family or friends is a win-win-win situation – for the senior, the children, and their parents.
- Get to church. Some studies show that people become more spiritual as they age. Attending a regular worship service helps support spirituality as well as provides opportunities for ongoing social engagement and activity.
At Nightingale Homecare, it’s our goal to keep the seniors in our care socially engaged and free from the constraints of loneliness. Our Phoenix home care services are customized to the needs of each individual person – never a one-size-fits-all approach – but always include a friendly, fully trained and experienced caregiver to offer the companionship so many seniors find lacking. Additionally, we assist as needed with:
- Meal planning, preparation and clean-up
- Transportation and accompaniment to appointments, to run errands, or recreational activities
- Light housekeeping and laundry
- Taking care of pets
- A full range of skilled medical care services, such as medication monitoring, infusion services, wound care, chronic disease management training, and much more
To schedule a free in-home assessment or to learn more about how our in-home care services can add a new dimension of socialization and wellness to your senior loved ones’ lives, contact us online or call us at 602-504-1555.
