How to Help Your Senior to Interact More with Other People

Socialization is a vital part of your elderly family member’s mental and emotional health, but it’s easy to overlook socialization. Your elderly family member might not be spending as much time interacting with other people as she needs to in order to avoid loneliness, so what can you do?

Find out First What She Wants

Sit down with your elderly family member and talk about the level of socialization she’s experiencing right now. If she’s happy with seeing people when she sees them, she may not want to become more active socially. But if she is experiencing loneliness, there are some steps that you can take to help her.

Find Local Senior Centers and Senior-oriented Programs

There are more options available for senior citizens than they realize sometimes. Look for local senior centers and programs that state that they’re centered around senior citizens. These types of events and locations are an excellent place for your elderly family member to meet new people and to spend time with people her own age. They often have fun activities planned that allow your elderly family member to experience new things.

Use Technology to Help Her Meet New People

Don’t overlook how helpful technology can be, though. If what you’re senior really wants is to spend more time with her friends and family who live far away, video conferencing might be the answer. While it’s not socializing in the most traditional sense, this does allow your elderly family member to have a little more control over her socializing.

Transportation Doesn’t Have to Be a Block Here

One of the reasons that your elderly family member might not be as social could be that she’s not able to drive any longer. If you haven’t talked about that yet, though, you might not realize that driving has become an issue for her. Elder care providers can do the driving for her, no matter how long she’d love to hang out with friends or family members. But if you don’t know that transportation is an issue, you can’t resolve it for her.

It’s possible to help your elderly family member avoid feeling isolated, but you need to do so in ways that work with her natural inclinations. If she’s shy or has a difficult time meeting new people, then being forced to socialize with people she doesn’t know might be uncomfortable for her. Start out small with elder care providers as companions and work your way up to bigger methods of socializing.

If you or an aging loved-one are considering hiring Home Care in Arlington, VA, please contact the caring staff at BrightHope Home Care and Senior Care today. Call us at 703-595-2878 ~ We serve all of Northern VA.