Increasingly in America, loneliness and social isolation in seniors is beginning to be recognized as a serious health concern. According to the CDC, over 25% of all Americans over the age of 65 can be considered ‘socially isolated.’ This brings myriad health concerns, such as an increased chance of dementia and stroke. Sometimes, a simple visit from a loved one or child is enough to brighten the day of an older American and help them feel loved and cared for through their darkest days. This holiday season, visiting the seniors in your life should be a top priority to avoid social isolation.
Social Isolation In The Elderly
Social isolation, as defined by the CDC and the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, entails more than just the lack of visits by family or friends. Loneliness is the feeling of being alone, regardless of the amount of social contact in their neighborhood or assisted living facility. Feelings of loneliness and social isolation are more likely to manifest when an older American feels like their life, traditions, and connections of the past are no longer present in their daily routine. Visiting your aged family members provides an excellent opportunity for them to socialize. But more importantly, it gives them something to grasp onto to remember and cherish the time they spent with loved ones in the past. Here are some tips to lift their spirits when visiting them this winter.
Help Them Decorate
Understandably, senior citizens might feel like life is passing them by if they are stuck in a drab, undecorated house during the holidays. If younger family members have grown up and moved all around the country, there might be fewer holiday visitors, and less incentive for your elderly loved one to spruce up their rooms with holiday cheer and decorations. Physical limitations, too, can make the simple act of decorating impossible. To help combat depression and sadness, help your loved one add some personal holiday touches to their residence and remind them of memories of past celebrations with friends and family.
Reminisce About The Past
As we age, we tend to become less mobile, spending a lot of time indoors. When visiting your elderly family members, one of the best ways to help them feel loved and important is to talk and reminisce about their past – through personal stories and shared experiences the two of you enjoyed together. Bring along photos of previous gatherings and let them expound on everything they loved about that time, and use this as a springboard to inform them of the lives of the rest of the extended family. Seniors who do not extensively use social media or the internet might be unaware of important life events, adding to their feeling of social isolation.
Observe Classic Holiday Traditions
Every family has traditions that are unique to them. These can be certain peculiar food dishes or a goofy way that the family exchanged gifts. Engaging in these traditions with your socially isolated loved one can remind them that their life has a purpose, and it influences others far more than they realize. If they used to always cook a particular meal for holiday gatherings, bring the ingredients and spend some quality time together!
Visiting seniors during the holidays is essential for combating feelings of social isolation and seasonal depression. If you have a loved one in assisted living or memory care, make every effort to include them in festivities as much as possible.
A Banyan Residence is an assisted living facility and memory care center located in The Villages.
