Social isolation is one of those things that we often don’t think about when it comes to our elderly parents, if only because it’s not something that we deal with on a regular basis. However, social isolation is often a harsh reality for seniors. Either they have decreased mobility and it is harder for them to leave their homes and see their friends, or they have lost their friends or grown apart from them over the years. Either way, social isolation is a huge concern, and addressing it quickly can have profound mental health benefits for your elderly family members.
Here, we’ve listed a few easy ways to help avoid seniors from being isolated. Hopefully there are a few things here that can help you and your family.
Make transportation available. Driving is extremely difficult for some elderly people. They may still have their licenses, but this doesn’t mean that it isn’t a stressful experience for them. If you are helping an elderly relative get around, or ensuring that they have safe transportation whenever possible will help alleviate this stress a bit and it encourages them to maintain social connections. It’s a small step, but it is a necessary one to get the ball rolling here.
Promote doctor’s visits. One of the most important things that an elderly person can do is go to the doctor when they are scheduled to. No, the doctor is not a social atmosphere, but getting out of the house is a good thing to do, and doctor visits are important enough that some of the fears of leaving the house can be easily overcome. Also, the physical health benefits of seeing the doctor and discussing any concerns cannot be understated.
Give some responsibilities. Just like you would give a young child chores around the house to encourage responsibilities, elderly individuals thrive when they feel needed. Depending on your mom’s physical health, the responsibility will vary. An able bodied person will be able to do a lot more than someone confined to a bed. However, everyone can do something, and having that responsibility on their shoulders can not just encourage them and help them to feel wanted and needed, but give them fuel for conversations. It might be something simple like watering the plants or feeding the dog, or it can be something a bit tougher. Use your discretion and ask your parent what they would like.
Use the community. We all have neighbors and communities that we live in. Encourage neighbors that you trust to stop by and talk with your mom or dad for a few minutes once or twice per week. Friendships outside of the family are so important, and they do wonders for mental health. If you use an in-home care service, you have this feature already built into the day, but having other people talking and caring about your love one will help them to thrive even more. You can even use the services of an assisted living facility if this is more in line with your parent’s needs.
Social isolation is not always easy to overcome, but there are things that can be done to help regardless of your mom or dad’s physical limitations. Our hope is that this guide helps you to ensure that your loved one nevers suffers from this.
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