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Ways to Combat Loneliness in Your Beloved Seniors
Francie Stavish • February 24, 2020
Senior loneliness is becoming more and more of an issue among the old population.
Research shows
that as a society, despite having numerous ways to digitally communicate, we feel alone more than ever. And no one feels this as much as the senior citizen population does. Senior loneliness is becoming more and more of an issue among the old population.
In fact, according to a study from the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, both loneliness and social isolation are associated with a higher risk of mortality
in adults aged 52 and older.
We can imagine why. As we become older adults, our social circles shrink more and more. Family moves away and senior adults have difficulty traveling far distances to get to them. Friends and spouses perish. And communicating with family gets harder and harder as technology develops. Seniors can’t keep up.
You can be a light for your beloved senior
As their family member or adult child, all you want to do is keep them happy and healthy. And to do that, you can help prevent them from being lonely. The small things you do for them can make huge differences in their mental health and possibly even their physical health. With that said, below are some ideas to include and show support for your beloved senior.
1. Visit as often as you can
This is the most obvious thing you can and should be doing, right? If someone is lonely, you visit them-it’s common sense. Encourage your other family members or friends to do the same if they’re not already.
As tedious as it sounds, share a calendar with your siblings and truly schedule in times to go visit your senior parents. Let them know you’re coming ahead of time so that they know they have something to look forward to. Bring your children and grandchildren if you have them, and encourage them to spend time with your parents and learn things from them.
2. Make communicating easy for them
You probably are aware that your aging parents aren’t the most technologically “savvy” people. Don’t force social media or Facetiming on them if they aren’t open to the idea-it might make them feel even more isolated (with that said, if they’re open to it, teach them!).
Think about how you could make communication easy for them. Buy them a
phone designed specifically for older people
that are sleek, yet easy to use. If they have a landline, make them a phone book with all your family’s cell phone numbers in it and have them keep it in a place that is easy to get to and easy to remember. If they like letters, write to them, and have your kids do so, too.
3. Look into a new home with them that could increase their social interaction
Especially if your parent is suffering the loss of a spouse and might be grieving, they might just need a friend that can relate.
You could bring up the idea of moving somewhere where more seniors live, like a town or city that is known for being a retirement hub. You could also look into retirement communities or senior centers. If they are not open to the idea, don’t force it on them. However, if you are worried about their safety and think it’s time they downsize, read our article on convincing your aging parents to move.
4. Send them cards and care packages in the mail
Especially on holidays, there’s no one who will appreciate a card from you and your family more than your senior parent(s) who may have to be far away by themselves.
A great idea to get the whole family involved is to make them a scrapbook and have your kids or siblings each make a page, and write them a note on their own page. If you have younger kids, sit down with them and make Valentine’s Day cards and Christmas cards or ornaments to send to their grandma and/or grandpa. Or better yet, if you live close enough, bring the kids to their home and make those crafts all together. Little things like that will mean the world to your beloved senior parent.
5. Get them a digital photo frame
If your aging parent isn’t a necessarily a social media guru, they may feel left out when it comes to sharing photos. People rarely print and send photos in the mail anymore, so how are they supposed to keep up?
A digital photo frame might be the best gift you ever give them. Not only is it super-easy to set up and use, it’s like a slideshow photo album for them to just sit and enjoy. Some digital frames
have you download an app and upload photos that will instantly sync to their new frame. They don’t have to do anything besides sit back, relax, and enjoy the show.
6. Encourage them to participate in social activities
As their adult child, you know what their favorite hobbies are. Now’s the time to really dive into those hobbies and get involved with a community of others who enjoy them to increase social interactions.
Ask them what they like to do in their spare time and do some research within their community. Find a book club, church group, gardening group, etc. and ask them if they would be interested in joining. If so, sign them up and go to it with them. It could be a great way for you both to spend time together, and also for them to meet some new friends.
You can be a light for them
It’s no secret that quality time with your loved ones increases happiness and decreases loneliness. Research shows that social support is strongly associated with better physical and mental health.
Keep in mind that your relationship with your senior parent is no different than your relationship with your spouse, children and friends in that you should invest time and energy into it. The little things you do for someone can go a long way.
So be the light your beloved senior needs, and have fun with them again. Connect with them and be their encouragement. We all need that when we’re feeling lonely, and you could benefit from that time together, too.
*This message is general advice and should not be treated as a medical recommendation.
ABOUT FRANCIE STAVISH & ASSOCIATES, LLC.
Francie is a Certified Senior Advisor, well connected with real estate agents and other professionals in the North Shore area. She is knowledgeable in the key health, financial, and social issues important to seniors. She enjoys educating people on these issues while presenting to groups of seniors and their families. Those interested can learn more about Francie and her services by clicking here
or calling 847-498-6910.
Francie Stavish Downsizing & Decluttering Blog
Moving is stressful at any age and under any circumstance. But for adult children, having to move one or both parents from their long-lived home is emotionally and physically draining. The senior downsizing process involves a lot of work: finding the perfect new home, de-cluttering and selling items, and packing and moving a life’s worth of belongings into a smaller space. Yikes. As children of parents who have possibly lived in the same home for decades, you have a quite a big job. Not only do you have to find a comfortable new living space that better suits your parents’ needs, but you also have to make this transition as seamless for them (and you) as possible. That’s where senior moving services can help. Listed below are the top five reasons hiring a senior moving service might save you a lot of worry. 1. They are professionals at organizing. Senior downsizing and moving specialists wouldn’t do what they do if they weren’t excellent at organizational skills. They know taking too many items during a move will cause a cycle of cramming and rearranging. They know how to downsize a home so that seniors are only keeping the belongings they need. Instead of worrying about making everything fit into their new space, seniors and their family members can let the move specialists take charge and ensure a seamless transfer of their belongings. 2. It’s an impartial third party. Moving a parent is not just difficult because it’s a physical chore. It’s an emotional process, too. Especially if numerous children are involved in the move, family politics can get involved. The possessions at your parents’ old residence need new homes, and it’s not always easy deciding what should stay and what should go. A lot of those possessions are nostalgic and offer sentimental value. Senior moving specialists are there to help decide on what to toss, sell or donate. While they offer an empathetic understanding of the delicate situation at hand, they can serve as great decision makers in the “do I really need this?” de-cluttering thought process. 3. Seniors are in on the plan, while move specialists do the heavy lifting. It’s important to remind seniors that they are the ones in control, and they should feel comfortable with the moving plan. They are the directors in the moving “movie”. That’s why they are involved in each step of the planning, while senior moving services do the heavy lifting and physical tasks. 4. They know all the right people. Downsizing a home involves a lot of moving parts and services. When completing this project on your own, you might be asking yourself “where is the best place to move my parents?” or “who should I call for this and that?” Especially if it’s a senior downsizing company like Francie Stavish & Associates LLC that is well connected in the senior community, the specialists will have a network of real estate agents and professional movers, and interior designers in the area. Together, they can complete a huge project flawlessly before you know it. 5. They help make a new, foreign place a home. The fact that your parents have lived in the same home for years and now have to move somewhere completely foreign where they may not know anyone is, well, not comforting. That’s why some senior downsizing services include interior designing at the end of the process to make senior clients feel good about their new living space. Francie Stavish, for example, hired a highly recommended interior designer who plans with the client’s health and safety needs in mind. Stavish considers interior designing an important “final touch” in a move, to ensure clients feel safe and welcome in their new home. With all that said, the most important thing at the end of the day is that Mom and Dad are taken care of. Senior moving services can be life-savers in assisting with that. To learn more about senior downsizing and moving services, please visit https://franciestavish.com/contact/ and book a complimentary one-hour consultation. FRANCIE STAVISH BLOG POSTS Post navigation PREVIOUS POST:« TIPS FOR ADULT CHILDREN ON CONVINCING YOUR AGING PARENTS TO MOVE You May Also Like
Downsizing and moving can be an intimidating task. Especially for older adults, this project can be emotionally and physically challenging for them and their adult children. However, if you plan and strategize ahead of time, downsizing doesn’t have to be so burdensome. Below is a five point guide to downsizing to go by after you have found the perfect place for you or your beloved senior. 1. Don’t wait to start the conversation. If you look at any article regarding downsizing advice, especially when it comes to seniors, you will find that starting the process as soon as possible will benefit you in the long run. A lot of things go into senior downsizing, one of them being age and time. As seniors age, sometimes moving is necessary-but the more you wait to move, the more difficult it gets to leave. That’s why it is recommended to have those conversations with your partner or family member early, long before you plan on actually moving. Then, you will have ample time to find the perfect home and plan out the move. 2. Plan out the new space, and decide how much stuff you can keep. So, you found the perfect new space. Great! Now comes time to plan out a seamless transition from your current place to the new one. This means taking measurements in your new home and figuring out how much space you have for your possessions. A good tip from a blog by PODS is to draw out your new living space like a DIY blueprint, and use this blueprint as a guide to place furniture in the new home before you move there. Once you have an idea of what you need to keep, now it’s time to get rid of unnecessary items. 3. Toss, donate, or sell. And no maybe’s. Since you have somewhat of an idea of what you need to take, you need to get rid of everything else. We suggest creating three sections, and sticking to them. Hiring a senior downsizing service can greatly help in this area. Senior downsizing specialists are experts in sorting and packing in the downsizing process. Not to mention, it will benefit you to have someone who is not as emotionally tied to the possessions as you are, to help be realistic and decisive during this project. 4. Hire help services you trust. Often times it gets overwhelming to try and do this all by yourself. There are lots of senior downsizing specialists out there that are experts in assisting your move. But it’s important you find one that is empathetic towards each situation, is ready to get their hands dirty and dive into the project, and make your life way easier throughout this process. That’s where Francie Stavish and Associates, LLC can come in and hold your hand at each step in the project. Under Francie’s guidance, the de-cluttering and downsizing tasks will become simplified. 5. Find creative ways to keep memories without taking up space. The difficult part about just tossing or selling your possessions is that they are wrapped in memories. There are a lot of different things you can do to keep that sentimental value these things offer. For example, maybe it’s a collection of teapots. You can keep 1-2 teapots and have the other ones photographed and captured as framed photos on the walls of your new home. Or perhaps it’s several t-shirts you just don’t have room for anymore. You can condense the size by sewing them together and creating a quilt out of them. And if you don’t want or need the quilt, you can give it your children, or their children and the memory can live on. To see more ideas of how to creatively capture your memories, click here. According to Senior Lifestyle, 75 percent of seniors say the amount of things they own make them “somewhat” or “very” reluctant to move. That’s where Francie Stavish and Associates, LLC helps. If you need assistance de-cluttering, packing and moving, click here to set up your free one-hour consultation with Francie Stavish and Associates, LLC.
