As opportunities to socialize change is can be more difficult to find friends after 70.
Though many people are content with their own company, an Age UK survey found that 1.4 million older people in the UK report feelings of loneliness. A study reported on the World Economic Forum found older adults who consider themselves lonely are likely to live shorter lives than their peers and spend less of their remaining life in good health
So if you are someone who can feel lonely it is important to keep in touch with your old friends and to make new ones.
Here are a couple of ideas for combatting loneliness for the elderly.
Join a Club
One way to make friends at 70 is to join a club.
Not only does that provide you with a routine, but it also enables you to meet people with a common interest.
Whether it’s a hobby, interest, arts or crafts, there are clubs for every niche. A quick look at Facebook groups and you will no doubt find a collection of people who share your particular interest, no matter how obscure.
You could also volunteer for a cause you’re passionate about.
Websites such as Volunteering Matters help put you in touch with local, safe and suitable volunteering opportunities.
Other great ways to extend your support network include joining dating websites or local faith groups.
Team Sports and fitness
A second way to combat feeling lonely is to make friends by playing team sports.
The comradery as well as in-built support networks that come with team sports are perfect for the elderly.
They also naturally help seniors to keep active, which is essential to maintaining good health as you age.
There are some sports better suited for the elderly, such as bowls, water aerobics and yoga. Click here for more detailed advice on staying active as you age.
So, why are support networks so important?
Support networks are essential to your general well-being as you age, but also can help to make sure that assistance is available, when necessary, be that filling in forms that you might not be familiar with or even assisting in and emergency.
Close friends and family give you someone to talk to, to share interests with and to enjoy spending time with, and can also provide a critical system of care if anything should happen to you.
The Acticheck Assure makes it so your friends and family are never far away. If something goes wrong, with the simple press of a button we contact your network so someone can help you as soon as possible.
In the unlikely event that you need help, but your friends or family members are not able to assist you, the Acticheck Fallback Call Response Service can step in. This service connects you to a professional 24/7 response centre that makes sure the emergency services receive the necessary instructions.
Conclusion
Though it may be more difficult to find friends at 70+, it is important to stay social as loneliness is harmful to our mental and physical health.
There are many avenues for finding new friends and building your social network and we’ve covered just a handful.
Remember if you live alone, it is really important that you can get help in an emergency situation when it might be difficult or impossible to use a phone, such as after a fall or if you were struggling for breath.
Though we have our own solution it won’t suit everyone so using our online questionnaire can help you find the right personal alarm for your needs .
We are here to ensure that all seniors retain their independence for as long as possible, and we can answer any questions or concerns you may have.
Contact us any time for advice or support when choosing your wrist worn fall detector on 0345 25 75 080.
