Are you or an older loved one living alone? If so, you’re not alone; according to the U.S. Census Bureau, 30% of U.S. adults aged 65 and older are in the same boat.
Living alone isn’t always bad, as it affords people the pleasure of personal space, lets them be comfortable in their own company, and helps them remain independent. However, it can be if declining health caused by age becomes part of the equation. There’s also the risk of social isolation and loneliness, which can lead to more problems.
Fortunately, assisted living for seniors in Knoxville, TN, provides a way to combat those issues: through social activities.
In this guide, our team of experts at Deane Hill Place shares the many benefits of Knoxville senior living social activities. Keep reading to learn more about them and what activities you can expect from assisted living communities.
Preventing Boredom
Boredom is an unpleasant, even uncomfortable, feeling of disengagement or not finding meaning in one’s life. When people feel bored, they lack interest and are often weary and restless.
Causes and Risks of Boredom in Older Adults
In older adults, boredom may result from being in retirement, living alone, or both.
For example, to some people, retirement may mean no longer having structure to their day. They don’t have to follow a rigid schedule of:
- Waking up at a specific time
- Accounting for traffic to go to work
- Doing something productive to earn money
- Rushing to get home
It may feel like freedom at first, but afterward, having so much “free” time on one’s hands can lead to boredom.
Older adults who live alone may also get bored because they have no one to talk to. Unlike people who live with others, those living alone may go days without having any conversation at all.
Unfortunately, boredom is more than an unpleasant feeling; according to WebMD, it can make people, especially those already dealing with anxiety, more prone to depression.
How Senior Care in Knoxville Helps
Knoxville elder care and assisted living communities can minimize the risk of boredom by helping residents regain structure in their everyday lives.
For example, Deane Hill Place residents can participate in scheduled daily activities. Our community’s staff also change them up for variation because we know things can get boring if they’re always the same.
So, by giving our residents fun and engaging events to look forward to, we can help make them feel more excited instead of bored.
Warding off Loneliness and Social Isolation
Loneliness is a state of mind in which a person feels alone, disconnected, or without a sense of belonging. On the other hand, social isolation is when someone has little to no social connections, support, relationships, or contact with others.
Consequences of Loneliness and Social Isolation
According to the U.S. CDC, both loneliness and social isolation are significant health problems, especially among older adults. They’re highly unpleasant feelings and states of mind, to begin with, but they can also raise one’s risk for problems like:
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Dementia
- Heart disease
- Stroke
- Type 2 diabetes
Furthermore, loneliness and social isolation often go hand in hand.
Senior Social Activities to the Rescue
The scheduled daily activities in assisted living communities in Knoxville encourage socialization because they’re group events. For instance, at Deane Hill Place, we make it a point to include social, recreational, and physical activities in our activity calendars. Some examples of fun, engaging, and brain-stimulating events we do here include the following:
- Walking clubs
- Arts and crafts
- Exciting games and sports like putt-putt and mahjong
- Fitness classes
- Educational programs
- Live entertainment
- Holistic wellness initiatives
- Organized social outings
For social outings, the expert staff at Dean Hill Place handles the transportation for our residents. Our residents can also schedule transportation for personal shopping trips and expeditions with their fellow residents.
By providing our residents opportunities to interact with others, they can build new connections and friendships. When they feel connected to the community, they’re likelier to have a sense of belonging. In this way, we help them foster positive emotions and eliminate or at least reduce their feelings of loneliness and isolation.
Improving Cognitive Health
While engaging in social senior activities is a great way to pass the time, its benefits go beyond that: it can keep the brain healthy and functioning well.
According to a post by Harvard Health Publishing, one way it can do so is by causing people to use their brains in more ways than nearly anything else. When people socialize, they engage all of their senses. Giving the brain a workout like this helps keep it sharp; as the saying goes, “Use it or lose it.”
An example of a social activity that engages all the senses is eating in the company of others. When we break bread together, we use our:
- Sense of sight to “eat” the food by just looking at it
- Sense of smell, touch, and taste to savor the food and build opinions about its taste
- Sense of hearing to listen to our companions as we talk about how great the food tastes
- Sense of sight to see our companions’ reactions to their first bite
At Deane Hill Place, our residents enjoy such social activities at least three times a day. They can feast on our expert culinary team’s carefully prepared, tasty, and nutritious meals with their friends and fellow residents in a restaurant-style setting.
Alternatively, our residents can prepare meals in their apartment homes, which have modern amenities like a kitchenette and refrigerator/freezer. They can turn it into a social event by inviting neighbors to share the food.
Enjoy the Social Benefits of Assisted Living for Seniors in Knoxville
From preventing boredom to warding off isolation and loneliness and even improving cognition, these are just some of the top benefits of social activities in assisted living for seniors in Knoxville.
As the community offering the best senior care in Knoxville, Deane Hill Place is proud to provide residents with many social opportunities to reap these benefits.
So, if you or your elderly loved one is ready to transition to assisted living, contact Deane Hill Place today. We’d love to give you, your elderly family member, and your fur baby a tour of our beautiful, pet-friendly community.
