Many older adults suffer from loneliness and isolation, which is unfortunate because social connection is crucial for maintaining mental and physical health at any age. However, sometimes it can be tough for seniors to stay socially connected, especially if they don’t get out of the house much and all their friends and family live far away. Here are nine ideas to help you make new friends and keep in touch with old ones as a senior:
Many older adults suffer from loneliness and isolation, which is unfortunate because social connection is crucial for maintaining mental and physical health at any age. However, sometimes it can be tough for seniors to stay socially connected, especially if they don’t get out of the house much and all their friends and family live far away. Here are nine ideas to help you make new friends and keep in touch with old ones as a senior:
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Invite a friend over.
The easiest way to stay social is to invite a friend over to your house that you already know. You don’t need an excuse to do this. You can simply slip into your comfiest easy-to-put-on-clothes for elderly and have coffee or watch a movie together. However, if you want to turn it into more of an occasion, you can ask them to join you for an outing, such as eating at a new restaurant you’ve been wanting to try or going to a new gallery opening together. These events are perfect for social meetups because they give you something to do if the conversation peters out.
Connect through technology.
If you don’t have friends or family in town, then it’s definitely worthwhile to learn how to stay in touch with them digitally via text message, phone, video call and email. We know that technology comes with its own learning curve, but mastering this digital technology will make it much easier to stay connected with your loved ones, especially younger generations like the grandchildren (and great-grandchildren, if you have them). Ask your loved ones for help the next time they are in town if you can’t get it figured out on your own.
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Attend an exercise class.
Exercise classes aren’t just good for your health. They are also a great place to meet like-minded people. If you are specifically looking to meet other seniors, see if your local gym or recreation center offers exercise classes specifically for older adults. Many of them do, especially on weekday mornings when retirees are free. Senior-specific exercise classes will also be designed with the aging body in mind, which can make the experience more pleasant — especially if you’re new to exercise. Wear comfortable clothes, such as men’s elastic waist pants, as well as non-slip shoes for safety.
Take up a new hobby.
Hobbies aren’t just a fulfilling way to pass the time. They also offer the perfect excuse to connect with other people with similar interests. There are many different ways to meet other people who also share your hobby, whether that’s taking a painting class at your local art store, visiting a traveling car expo or attending a meetup of your local astronomy club. If you’re feeling technologically adventurous, there are also online forums dedicated to basically every hobby under the sun, allowing you to connect with people from all over the world.
Volunteer for a local charity.
Many older adults find a lot of fulfillment in giving back to the community by volunteering for a local charitable organization, and you are bound to meet other volunteers if you work on-site or at events. The best way to meet people through volunteering is to work the same shift regularly, so you can start to build a rapport with people who are there at the same time as you each day or week.
Attend religious services.
If you’re spiritual or religious, attending gatherings for people of your faith will help you meet others who share your values and enrich your life as well. Many older people draw a lot of comfort from religious practices, and attending services helps to give their lives a weekly structure — especially once they retire and no longer have to work regular hours. Plus, it’s an excuse to bring out your nicest women’s and men’s adaptive clothing and get a little bit dressed up.
Enroll in an educational course.
Learning doesn’t have to stop once you enter your golden years. In fact, retiring will free up a lot of time to take educational classes on everything from software development to carpentry. See if organizations in your area offer classes specifically tailored to seniors. Not only will this mean that you get to meet people in a similar stage of life, it also ensures that the instructions will be tailored to late-in-life learners, which can make it easier to pick up.
Visit your local senior center.
If all this sounds overwhelming to you, take a step back and do a quick search to see if there is a local senior center in your area. Senior centers are designed to provide all sorts of support for older adults — from connecting them with senior services to hosting social events such as game nights. Your local senior center can make recommendations and help get you connected to the groups that would be the best fit for your interests and needs, including social opportunities to help you meet other seniors.
Consider an assisted living facility.
One of the benefits of assisted living facilities is that you are constantly surrounded by other seniors. Most facilities have communal dining halls, offer exercise and art classes and host social events, making it easy to build friendships with fellow residents. Obviously, moving into an assisted living facility is a big decision that should not be undertaken lightly, and you shouldn’t do it only for the social opportunities — but they are definitely a big perk to look forward to if you do decide that it’s time to move into a nursing home.
Have any of these suggestions already worked for you in the past? What are your other favorite ways to stay connected with friends and loved ones? Let us know in the comments below!
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