 | Kevin Knaup received his Kansas Adult Care Home Administrator's license in 1983 and is the Administrator and part owner of Sunset Manor, Inc. in Frontenac, KS. He has been employed at Sunset Manor for 31 years. He is a member of Kansas Health Care Association and Kansas Adult Care Executives. He has served on various local and state committees for education and training in the Adult Care home field. |
Senior Living
2012-02-28 10:55:26
Are social activities beneficial?
Q: We plan to check out several nursing facilities for my mom over the next several weeks. Since my mom is rather shy and tends not to seek out social events, she would lean toward a smaller quiet arrangement. However, I would like to steer her to options that tend to have more activities. Is it best to cater to her natural leanings, or try to keep her engaged?
A: The good news is that it is possible to satisfy both the need for solitude while incorporating the benefits of social activity by finding a facility that incorporates and respects the value of both aspects.
My mother-in-law is a great example of socializing. She lives in a local housing center with other seniors her age and they have regular social events like weekly breakfasts and lunches along with bingo and other games. She is one of those who enjoys the socialization.
Not everyone has a social bent, however, and some people actually find socializing to be very stressful. Others warm up to the idea with some encouragement. For those who prefer the quiet life, it is always good to find options that will respect the need for quiet spaces and provide plenty of opportunity to unwind.
That said, studies show that there is a real value to regular social interaction, particularly for those 65 and older.
In fact, a recent Gallup poll found that seniors report higher levels of lasting happiness and satisfaction following socializing than any other adult age group.
Amazingly, the study showed that younger people receive far less enjoyment from social activities as do seniors 65 and older. The results also showed that seniors not only receive more pleasure from interaction, it takes far less of it to achieve happiness, and the effects last much longer.
Research found that the feeling of emotional wellbeing rises sharply after age 60. This increases not a result of retirement as you might expect. Both those 60 and older working full time and those out of the workforce, reported similar levels of happiness.
The study concluded that the perception of happiness was directly affected by the amount of social interaction. About 72 percent of participants aged 65 and older who reported engaging in social activity six hours a day described a high level of enjoyment and happiness. Only 44 percent of those 65 and older who reported zero hours of social time described the same emotional wellbeing.
While it is great to respect your mom’s private time, choosing an environment that has an emphasis on facilitating fun might prove very valuable in giving her options in expanding her social horizons.
