Studies have found that a couple’s quality of life is linked, even after one partner has passed away. Other studies have found that quality of life is a major determining factor in health among the elderly, especially in determining the impact that a disability might have. With these two things put together, it only makes sense that a couple that is happy together will have a higher quality of life, and that goes for an individual after their spouse has passed away.
This recent study discovered that not only do married couples share characteristics when it comes to quality of life, this bond continues on just as strong after a partner dies. The first part of this study was to be expected; couples live together, share the same environment, and have spent years adapting to the other. However, the fact that this bond continues on after one person has died is a surprise. If couples lived together in happiness with a high quality of life, the surviving spouse tends to retain this. The opposite is also true. In other words, the people that we love and care about, spending the majority of our time with, have a lasting impact upon how we live our lives, even years after they are no longer in our lives.
This is yet another development that point to the fact that great relationships can lead to improved senior health. When someone is more social, has more friends, and a strong, loving family to rely upon, they tend to be healthier, needing less supervision, less senior care, and need to use services like in-home care, assisted living, and nursing homes, less frequently. Not surprisingly, the better the quality of life early in the relationship, the better the quality of life toward the end of the study’s timeframe.
Having an elderly loved one can be a challenge, but little things like the above information give us hope. Things like cognitive functioning and physical health were heavily dependent upon the other partner, but when one was in good health the other tended to be. Our elderly parents and grandparents may have lost a loved one in their lives, but by continuing to surround them with our love, we can take small steps toward keeping them healthy. True, a healthy and happy child or grandchild might not have the same influence that a 50 year marriage did, but it is a small something that we can do to help.
If being with your loved one with frequency is an impossibility, there are other things that you can do. Make sure that they are not alone. This could mean having a friend check in on them daily. It could mean hiring a caregiver to come in and help around the house and provide companionship. These are seemingly small things, especially if they appear to be pretty healthy and independent already, but they have the potential to have a sizable impact upon their quality of life. And when it comes to a loved family member, this is extremely important.
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