Making friends doesn't have to be difficult, but it can be an intimidating endeavor for people of any age.
Older adults may find it particularly daunting, especially if they have become isolated as the years have passed. At the same time, continued socialization is extremely important to a senior’s health and well-being.
Fortunately, there are many opportunities for seniors to meet other people their age, and in many cases you can help just by pointing them in the right direction.
Here are a few simple things to do to help your older loved ones make new friends.
When helping your loved one make new friends, it’s best to focus on their local area. That way, it’s easy to arrange later meetings.
Fortunately, their local city, town, or even neighborhood is likely to have a number of occasional festivals, farmers markets, concerts, lectures and/or shows.
If you find such opportunities lacking, don’t let it get in the way. You can help coordinate simple local activities – such as volunteering.
By getting yourself and your loved ones involved in the local community, they’ll easily make friends — and you may too.
Send your loved ones on a group tour to another city, or perhaps even another country. Your loved ones will connect easily with the other people on the tour — particularly if it’s a tour geared toward older adults — while forming enduring memories.
After the trip, your loved ones may come away not only with new friends, but a set of shared experiences that will help them reconnect with each other when the trip is over.
Your loved ones naturally have a number of interests that could be developed further with classes, whether it’s studying a foreign language, or improving their computer skills.
Continuing education is also a great way to make friends and bond with them over common interests. Language classes in particular usually involve some kind of required interaction in the target language, which will open up even the shyest seniors to new friends and experiences.
Gyms — particularly in the middle of the weekday — are often full of seniors and can provide an opportunity to meet and make new friends.
Buy your loved ones a gym membership, and they can even take part in yoga or aerobic classes specifically targeting for seniors.
Of course, exercising can also make them feel healthier and better about themselves, and this in turn can increase confidence and make them more naturally outgoing.
Older adults love parties as much as anyone else, but they can be difficult to organize. You can help them by putting together a party. You can do all the legwork and offer support, while they focus on entertaining and hosting the guests.
If their circle of friends is small, you can keep the invitations open — or ask everyone to bring one or more guests. The bigger the party, the more chances there will be to meet new people.
