Seniors Need Friends and Relationships, Social Contacts

Seniors need friends and relationships - companionship of sorts, to feel social contact and avoid loneliness. Visitors in nursing homes can help.

You can help by calling, by visiting, by taking grandkids and friends to visit, and/or by arranging little dance or music shows for the seniors. The social contact is invaluable to the elderly. Take them to outings if it is safe for them – a coffee, a lunch or dinner at your home or at a restaurant.

When my mother was in a facility, I went to visit her with my 3-4 year-old daughter with her long hair. All the senior residents just had to come touch her hair and the smiles on the faces were priceless. Even though my mother had dementia and seemed to forget us, she was always so happy to hold onto my daughter and carry her a bit.

My daughter’s dance class did little shows for nursing homes and the senior residents loved it so much. Our church would take the kids to sing at nursing homes. After they performed the seniors wanted to talk to the kids and tell them how much they loved the performances and how pretty they were. Little ones bring so much joy to the elderly. Little ones need to be prepared for elderly audiences, so they don’t freak out – though most seem to understand from having grandparents.

You can go and read to them, play cards, or play board games, or pay to have a meal with them. You can take a (likely) slow walk with them. You can take them out to a meal or to a movie (if they can behave) and spend time with them. You can pick them up and bring them to your home for a visit. Seniors need friends and relationships.

You can help them figure friends in the facility by including another in any activity and get them to talk to each other – it might grow the friend circle. If the senior goes to meals at the same time, familiarity will grow for the other people eating at the same time, and eventually all eat at the same table and swap stories. I saw this happen with my dad as he made more friends. Seniors need friends and relationships.

There was one facility I went to where belts were a sign of status, so I took one of the residents (my friend) to a place to buy a nice belt (which I paid for). There might be something like that which makes them more comfortable to be there and talk about it with others.

Seniors like to meet people to eat meals with, to play games with, to talk to, to walk with, etc. even if they don’t act like it (cranky ones usually warm up to loving relationships and realize life is better with others who care). Many have lost their spouse and many friends have passed to where none are left in their area. There may be events that angered them, and they stay angry until they find they are loved again. Seniors need friends and relationships.

Sometimes a pet is the perfect companion or visitor for the elderly. Offer to bring a dog or cat or horse or goat to a facility and let the occupants interact with the animal. If the senior lives in a house, perhaps get a dog or cat, a bird, or goldfish for him, if he is able to care for it. If he can’t care for one, or isn’t allowed to have a pet, then maybe arrange a visit to a pet store or Humane Society (maybe suggest a dog walker duty for the senior).

Help seniors figure out how to interact with others if they aren’t already. Loneliness is tough and many respond better if they can have friends and relationships .