Enjoying the senior resident lifestyle doesn’t mean you have to lose touch with friends and family. While you’ll make new friends in your new home, maintaining connections with those you love is still vital to your health and well-being.
Most “stay healthy” tips for seniors focus on eating well and staying active, but keeping in touch with the people closest to you is also important. Feeling isolated can harm your health. For more information on how to stay connected with family while living in a senior community, contact Westminster Place at 903.329.6520 or online.
How to Maintain a Connection in Senior Living
As social creatures, all humans strive for connection with others. But how do you maintain those connections while living the senior resident lifestyle?
Take the First Step
You’re not the only person wondering how to stay connected with family while living in a senior community. Concerns about becoming an “elder orphan” are real and understandable.
You may worry that people who once called or came to check on you while you lived at home will stop taking the time now that you’re “settled” in a senior community. It may not be easy, but it’s up to you to let others know how important their visits and communications are.
Tips for Maintaining a Connection in Senior Living
One of the benefits of living in a senior community is that it prevents isolation. You can have time alone when you choose, but you never have to be lonely. There are always friends to visit with and activities to enjoy both on and off campus. As enjoyable as this new stage of life can be, maintaining family connections in senior living is still a priority.
Physical distance and daily responsibilities can create barriers that make connection difficult. With a little effort and maybe some new skills, all of these barriers can be overcome.
Plan an In-Person Visit
There’s nothing like being face-to-face with someone you love. You may be concerned about “entertaining” in your new environment. There are still many fun things you can do with a visitor, even if you’re not as mobile as you once were. Consider the following activities:
- Playing cards or board games
- Putting a scrapbook or photo album together
- Visiting a nearby park or museum
- Preparing and eating a meal together
- Going on a shopping trip or getting a manicure
Check the activities calendar at your senior community and plan a visit when there is a fun event your friend will enjoy.
Get on Social Media
Many of today’s seniors are already using social media to stay in touch with friends and family. You don’t have to be tech-savvy to enjoy sites like Facebook or Instagram.
If you don’t already have an account, ask someone in your family to help you open one. There is no cost and they are easy to use. You may be surprised by how many of your friends are staying connected with the help of social media.
Visit via Zoom
Zoom chats are a fun way to maintain family connections in senior living when you can’t meet in person. The service is free in most cases.
With Zoom, you can see and talk to several people at once. You can view your grandchild’s latest art project or hear them practice the piano. You can even “attend” a friend’s birthday party via Zoom and watch them open their presents.
Write Letters
There’s nothing as delightful as receiving a handwritten letter in the mail. If technology isn’t your thing, stay connected the old-fashioned way by writing letters to your friends and family.
Take the First Step: Keep Family Connections Strong in Senior Living at Westminster Place
Aging comes with many challenges, and maintaining a connection in senior living is one of them. However, it’s a challenge that can be overcome. Start by reaching out to friends and family to let them know your new address and that you’d love to schedule a visit or become Facebook friends.
It is possible to stay close to your loved ones even when your living situation changes. The staff members at Westminster Place understand your concerns and are here to help you in any way they can. Call Westminster Place at 903.329.6520 or contact us online today to learn more about our services.