AGE | The Friendship Factor in Healthy Aging
Melissa Cook
Discussions on healthy aging often focus on eating right and staying active, but equally important is staying socially connected. Strong social ties improve mental health, reduce the risk of depression, ease loneliness, and even extend life.
In its “Keys to Embracing Aging” program, the Kansas State University Extension identifies twelve practices that support healthy aging. One simple but powerful key is to maintain social connections.
Making and keeping connections takes extra effort for many older adults, especially those who live alone or have limited mobility. Even so, a little effort can make a meaningful difference. Consider these ways of building and maintaining relationships:
- Pick up the phone and call a friend or family
- Schedule video chats; seeing a friendly face can brighten your
- Write a letter or email to stay in
- Join a class in person or online through a library, senior center, or UW
- Volunteer at a local school, library, or
- Attend community
- Take part in hobby groups. Connect with others through the arts, book clubs, or outdoor activities.
In Wyoming, senior centers play a vital role in helping older adults stay engaged. They offer far more than a place to eat lunch.
These community hubs may host card games, bingo, fitness classes, art workshops, or guest speakers. They create a welcoming space to catch up with old friends or make new ones.
Senior centers also connect people with local resources and services. Many offer transportation and group outings as well as helping with paperwork such as Medicare forms.
Staying socially connected offers companionship, laughter, and a sense of belonging, which brings increased health and happiness at every stage of life. The “Keys to Embracing Aging” remind us that healthy living is not only about our bodies. It is also about the people we share our lives with.
Images from Alena Darmel on Pexels.com.
References & Further Reading:
- Kansas State University Research and Extension. Keys to Embracing Aging: Social Activity. https://bookstore.ksre.ksu.edu/download/keys-to- embracing-aging-social-activity_MF3260.
- Aging Programs, K-State Research and Extension. https://aging.k- state.edu/programs/embracing-aging.
- National Center for Rural and Agricultural Health and Safety. Keys to Embracing Aging. https://ncran.org/resources/health-promotion/keys/
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