The Importance of Socialization in Seniors

Being active and engaging socially makes seniors feel happier and obviously, that has lots of benefit in terms of reducing depression. Even mre, a number of studies show that isolation can be a big contributor to cardiovascular risk and depression in older adults. This becomes especially true for older adults who have made the commitment of moving to an assisted living facility or nursing home. Nursing home owner Ephraim Zagelbaum, founder of Personal Healthcare, a senior care management company operating within New York and Massachusetts, is well-acquired with the benefits of keeping seniors socially active. In addition to providing social and emotional support and connecting, socializing invariably involves communication, which can help improve cognition. It helps to residents to utilize their communication skills and those interactions can be very helpful for keeping a high level of mental stimulation," Ephraim Zagelbaum says.

Bellow, Ephraim Zagelbaum rounded up few wonderful activities for seniors to keep them engaged and interested in life.

One of the most important things you can do for a parent in assisted living is to commit to regular visits. If you want to go a step further and make these visits memorable for your senior loved one, you can include some activities that can make your time there even more special. For example, Ephraim Zagelbaum recommends doing crafts together. This is both a fun way to produce something beautiful and spend time together. Fortunately, nowadays there are tons of options to choose from.

Another great activity you can do with your aging loved one is playing board games. Board games can also inject a dose of fun into your time together. There are board games with all sorts of themes — from adventure games to card games, to word games and more. Some of this games are ideal for seniors, adds the healthcare executive.

For seniors who are living in assisted living locations, eating in the same cafeteria can become pretty mundane. So, the next time you visit your loved elder one, spice things up for by buying or making some of their favorite foods and packing them into a picnic basket. Find a spot somewhere on the assisted living grounds or nearby to sit together and enjoy the meal outside.