Your first response to a friend who losses their partner due to illness or natural causes may be sympathy because they are alone. This is totally appropriate, but when you apply this scenario to Ft. Lauderdale with the high rate of elderly citizens, the likelihood that the person you know is a senior citizen raises and being alone has a different meaning. Just inviting them over for dinner or to go out with one of your other single friends is not just a nice thing to do, it may be a lifesaving gesture. Remember that being alone is not bad; it is loneliness that causes health problems, especially in senior citizens. Most seniors have forgotten how to make new friends and their social skills are rusty because they have been given relationships with a spouse, relatives, friends and many others who make up their healthy social group. Researchers say loneliness is a factor in raised blood pressure. High blood pressure leads to many other life threatening issues that can strike without notice.
You may wonder why taking a senior citizen and getting them involved socially is a life saving gesture.The simple answer is that studies show, foralarge population of senior citizens like we have inthe Ft. Lauderdale area loneliness is a health risk. Having a dog or other pet is a start in overcoming the health risks of loneliness. Research also shows that people with pets recover better and faster from sickness and surgeries. One thing that dogs are known for and research has proven is that pets make great companions and help their owners to stay healthy. One problem seniors have is a lack of desire to get outside and move around. When you have a charming little friend wagging their tail and waiting for that walk, it is hard to say no. When you have a loving companion by your side you may be alone but you do not suffer from loneliness. A dog can make you feel happier than you ever imagined while helping to bridge the gap to building more social interactions.
Depression and loneliness can cause a loss in appetite which is alleviated somewhat by having a pet. Many seniors do not have the desire to make the most nutritious choices in food selection and meal preparation, the result being malnutrition and potential health problems. In the past they had their partner to make meals more enjoyable and to insure each other ate good healthy foods and maintained a good nutritional balance. As you see, seniors who lose their partner will become lonely but it does not have to affect their good health. Loneliness develops because they did not know how to reengage themselves socially. Social engagements help to lower stress which has been proven to destroy brain cells and detrimentally affect overall health. There are many tools to help the senior citizen who feels alone and if a little push from a friend or loved one is applied at the right time loneliness does not have to be the reason for deterioration in health. You can be the friend who helps the senior who is feeling alone get back into the social scene and make sure that they are not victims of loneliness.
Think healthy, live healthy and be healthy!
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