The relationship that a parent has with her children is like no other. That’s because a parent’s greatest joy is spending time with their children.
So, it’s no surprise that the more time they spend with their children, the longer they’ll live.
A study by the University of California, San Francisco suggests that loneliness can contribute to higher mortality rates. So, it might be a good idea to start hosting weekly family dinners at your place.
“Loneliness is a common source of distress, suffering, and impaired quality of life in older persons,” the study’s background abstract states.
The study examined the lives of 1,600 adults with an average age of 71 and found that loneliness outweighed money issues and health when it came to mortality rates.
“Among participants who were older than 60 years, loneliness was a predictor of functional decline and death,” the study states.
About 23 percent of participants who said they were lonely ended up dying within six years of the study compared with 14 percent who had companionship.
Participants were determined to be “lonely” if they responded some of the time or often to the following three questions.
Participants were determined to be “lonely” if they responded some of the time or often when asked if they ever felt left out, isolated, and a lack of companionship.
“The need we’ve had out entire lives —people who know us, value us, who bring us joy— that never goes away,” Geriatric Senior Social Worker Barbara Moscowitz at Massachusettes General Hospital told The New York Times.
As we age, more of our companions and people we have relationships with pass away, retire, move away, or become ill, leaving us with fewer companions.
Not only is it important for us to spend time with our elderly parents and grandparents, but it’s also important to ensure that they foster strong relationships on their own.
According to the New York Times, assisted living facilities are a great way for seniors to build meaningful relationships with others.
It’s important to keep this information in mind when we plan for our parents’ futures. While not all seniors are able to move into an assisted living facility, there are ways we can ensure that our seniors aren’t feeling isolated.
Be sure to schedule visits with your elderly family members, phone calls, or internet video chats. Lots of towns also have free senior citizen programs, which you may want to look into.
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