Everyone needs friends, and this is true for elderly seniors just as much as it is for everyone else. Just because your loved one has reached a certain age, it doesn’t mean she can’t still have great friendships and participate in fun activities with those friends. And while most people understand the mental health benefits that come along with having a great group of friends (or even just one or two very special friends), did you know that being socially active can also help prevent your loved one from falls? Let’s look into this surprising benefit that simply hanging out with friends and having fun offers. Companion care at home providers can assist in keeping your loved one socially active.
Three Ways Social Connections Help Prevent Falls
Remaining socially active will help your loved one stay mentally and physically in better health, and those benefits can reduce her risk of taking a bad fall in three ways.
Social interactions increase cognitive health. A big part of preventing a fall is being aware that it’s about to happen. As a person ages, their reaction time often slows, making it more difficult for them to make a quick adjustment to their balance if they suddenly find themselves losing their footing. By continuing to practice many social engagement skills, such as conversing back and forth, solving problems, and playing games, the brain stays sharp and can react to sudden changes more quickly.
Social interactions promote physical movement. Whether it’s a walk through a garden with a friend, playing a game of pickleball, or even volunteering alongside someone at the ticket table during an event, many social activities require some type of movement. These little bursts of movement promote better balance through stronger muscles and better balance.
Social interactions boost confidence. If your senior has already taken a spill or bad fall, she might have lost her confidence that she can still navigate the world around her safely. Having friends nearby to distract herself from the worries of falling can actually help her get better at not falling. The more she moves and explores the world, the more she’ll feel secure doing it.
To reap the benefits of having a lower risk of falling, your loved one does need to choose social interactions that also entail a bit of physical movement as well. Being social on the computer or through social media generally does not reduce the risk of falls. Activities like joining a bird-watching club, volunteering at a school, or participating in an exercise class geared toward seniors are the types of social interactions that help prevent falls.
When Friends are Far and Few Between
Perhaps your loved one has some great friends, but they don’t live nearby, or they aren’t able to join her in physical activities. Companion care at home services can step in and help your loved one participate in the activity she needs while also providing companionship. A companion care at home provider can join her on walks, help her move around the home and yard, and even provide transportation to a senior exercise class. Companion care at home programs are a great way to keep your elderly senior socially connected, reduce those feelings of isolation, and even help her be active again, thus reducing her risk of falling.
If you or an aging loved one is considering Companion Care at Home Services in Berkeley Heights, NJ, please contact the caring staff at Helping Hands Homecare today. Call (908) 418-4299
Helping Hands Homecare provides Senior Home Care Services throughout Northern and Central New Jersey, including Clark, Westfield, Cranford, Scotch Plains, Rahway, Linden, Summit, Edison, Elizabeth, Mountainside, Short Hills, Millburn, New Providence, Berkeley Heights, Kenilworth, Chatham, Madison, Metuchen, and surrounding areas.
After graduating from Seton Hall University with a BS in finance Helping Hands Homecare’s Owner / President, Robert D’Arienzo, went to work on Wall St. for six years. However, after Robert’s grandmother became ill with stomach cancer Robert and his family needed to find assistance in the home for her. After many trials and tribulations Robert could see that there was a great need for quality home care services here in NJ and loved the idea of being able to assist other families who were going through what his family went through with his beloved grandmother.
Thus, Robert had found his passion. After almost a year of preparation Robert opened Helping Hands Homecare in 2003. Robert wanted Helping Hands Homecare to focus on providing the highest quality of caregivers, exceptional customer service, and providing a service that familys could depend on in their time of need. Since then Helping Hands has assisted hundreds of individuals with the simplest of needs to more complex cases while preserving those standards set out many years ago.
Robert is a Google Verified Author
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