There are numerous senior health issues that can negatively impact an elder’s health, but one of the most detrimental, and preventable, issues is loneliness. While loneliness may not be considered as one of the medically-related senior health issues that often arise as people age, seniors who are lonely are more likely to age faster, succumb to depression and deteriorate both mentally and physically at a faster rate than those who enjoy an active social life.
How Loneliness Impacts Senior Health Issues
Many studies have shown that those who are isolated or lonely suffer negative effects of both physical and mental health. Humans are by natural social beings and socialization is an important part of keeping people feeling happy and therefore healthy. Elders health can suffer when a person feels lonely, isolated, depressed, unneeded or unwanted. Those who do not want to make the effort to maintain an active social life also typically lack mental stimulation and do not get enough physical activity to keep their bodies as strong as possible.
Loneliness Is Only One of Many Senior Health Issues Negatively Affecting Elders Health
Loneliness is a feeling of isolation and being “unconnected” from other people. Many seniors may think that they are fine and that they are keeping busy by sitting in front of the television all day. The people on the screen become familiar and almost appear as “friends” because they are seen on a daily basis and provide a measure of entertainment.
When seniors spend most of their day on the couch inside their own homes, it often comes about because they no longer feel important, may have other health issues that don’t make it easy for them to get around, or may just think that it’s too hard to start recreating a new life as a single person once a spouse is gone. Although all of these issues add to the loneliness and keep the senior from moving forward with their life, each of these issues can negatively impact a senior’s health and psyche on their own.
How Do Seniors Get To This Point?
It’s hard to say what causes so many seniors to become lonely, depressed and withdrawn – and then have to deal with the more serious senior health issues that can arise from these conditions. In some cases, a person may not even realize how much they have stopped getting out and doing things. As it becomes harder to get around due to age and physical limitations, they may not even realize that they no longer get out and do the things they once used to enjoy.
For others who have lost a spouse, they may not know how to go out and enjoy themselves with their loved one gone. For still others, the realization that they are no longer needed as caregivers, no longer have careers, or no longer “contribute” to society is enough to make people feel that there is no reason to go out and socialize anymore.
Combating Senior Health Issues By Encouraging Activity
As long as a senior is still of sound mind and body, we can’t really force them to do something that they don’t want to, but that doesn’t mean we can’t try to encourage them to get out and to do things that are good for them and that may make them happy. Lecturing them about the merits of being social or the detriments of being withdrawn is probably not the best way to get them to want to change their ways. They’re probably more likely to deny that they feel the way you portray them.
Rather, you may want to casually suggest different activities geared to seniors, encourage them to call their old friend to go to the movies, offer to accompany them to check out the local senior center, or even leave information for them to look at about assisted living facilities. If you know they have friends, neighbors or other family members that they can spend time with, that’s a great place to start. If you know that any of those people are involved in certain activities or belong to any clubs or groups, suggest that it might be nice to try out going with them once or twice to see if they like it.
If Transportation Is An Issue, Look Into Ways For Them To Get Around
As seniors become more uncomfortable with driving far distances or driving at night, or if they can no longer drive at all, it becomes harder for them to get out and enjoy social stimulation. Since we know that loneliness can lead to other senior health issues and our elders health is of primary importance, it’s worth looking into transportation options for them that will make it easier for them to participate in various activities and stay active. Some senior centers provide transportation to and from the center.
Sometimes there are trips that will pick seniors up at a central meeting place so you can offer to drive them to the pick-up spot. If there are places locally that they can get to with an inexpensive cab ride, give them a “gift” of a certain number of cab rides so they can go out to the movies, to dinner or to a shopping center with a friend. Look into local buses, if that is an option. A lack of transportation should not be the cause of elders health issues caused by prolonged isolation and loneliness.
Find Out What Appeals Most And Present That Option
Your parent may deny that they no longer do anything outside of the house or may claim that they don’t want to hang around with those “old” people down at the senior center, so rather than arguing that they belong there or that they really need to do more than they are currently doing, find something that will really appeal to their interests and bring it up as an exciting new opportunity you just found out about. If you think they need to feel needed, tell them about volunteer opportunities and how much they are really needed by a particular organization.
If they love watching sports, tell them about the crowds at the senior center that watch the Sunday afternoon football game and how much fun you hear they have. If mom loves to play cards, introduce her to other people you may know that also are card players. Whatever you can do to gently encourage your aging loved one to get out and enjoy themselves can make a big impact on preventing more serious senior health issues in the future.
