Living in residential aged care is a common choice for older people who are no longer able to live and care for themselves on their own. An aged care community allows older people to take advantage of the higher levels of care provided in such a facility, and to access the help and support they need to stay as well and healthy as possible for as long as possible. Aged care helps older people stay safe and secure, with access to all the security features of the facility, such as call bells, fall alerts, round the clock staff and security cameras. Life in a residential facility solves the physical problems often encountered by seniors living on their own, and gives them far greater peace of mind that they will always be looked after.
It also solves another big problem older people often face – loneliness.
Loneliness, or social isolation is a common problem experienced by older adults, and can contribute to the development of mental health problems over time. Loneliness can lead to:
- Psychological and emotional distress
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Decreased confidence and self esteem
Loneliness also negatively impacts many aspects of physical health as well, and can contribute to:
- Cardiovascular disease
- High blood pressure
- Immune system suppression
- Higher rates of inflammation and cancer
- Stroke
- Compromised health, especially in high-risk people
It can be hard to believe that loneliness and isolation could actually affect your physical health, but it’s true. The mind and body are firmly linked, and loneliness can be devastating for the health of older adults. Spending time with others is not just a nice thing to do, it’s has been proven to be necessary for good mental and physical health as we age.
Loneliness becomes more of a problem as we age due to the usual circumstances of life. After retirement, we no longer have daily contact with a network of people, which can lead to a shrinking of our circle. As well, ageing inevitably brings with it the loss of close friends and family members, leaving people increasingly more isolated over time. We may move away from our family home or the city we live in, and find it hard to make new friends in our new location.
There’s no doubt about it, being isolated is not good for us, especially as we get older. Studies have backed up this finding, repeatedly showing that older people experience better mental and physical health when they maintain strong social connections and enjoy relationships with others.
There are a whole host of benefits to staying socially connected, including:
- Greater feelings of wellbeing and happiness
- Improved quality of life
- Greater longevity
- Feeling more supported
- Being more active
- Having a sense of purpose and being able to offer something to other people
- Being involved in the community
- Avoiding physical and mental health problems
Strong and meaningful relationships are one of the most important keys to a longer, healthier and happier life; but loneliness is reaching epidemic proportions among older people in our current climate.
And this is where aged care community living can really make all the difference.
The big advantage of living in an aged care community is just that – that it’s an inbuilt community. This community provides plenty of social benefits, and gives older people instant access to a wide range of potential social connections who are right there on site with you. You’ll have people to socialise with, share meals with, talk to, and do activities with every day, and the potential is ripe to make great friends who live in close proximity to you. Living in an aged care community goes a long way towards helping seniors reduce isolation and loneliness, and stay connected with the community around them.
Getting older doesn’t automatically mean your social circle will shrink, but it often takes a lot more effort than before to stay connected. Aged care community living removes this barrier to creating connections, and allows seniors to live a rich, full and connected lifestyle – something that’s good for everyone’s health.
Aged care community living is a wonderful way to reduce loneliness among seniors, and Finley Regional Care does it better than most. Have a look at Finley’s caring aged care facilities in regional NSW here.
Click here to read more about how seniors can extend their lives by staying connected.
