It’s no secret that I run a Facebook group for people growing older at home. It’s geared to the individuals having little to rare support from a family member. Some feel lonely while others do not. Making Social Connections to Age Well
In this group, there are stories of loneliness, physical pain, emotional hardships, and the flip side of adversity, like traveling the world, retiring to another country, finding a more challenging job, while others go back to school for a second or third degree. It’s fun to read the stories and observe how some move out of tough circumstances.
There are big differences between those who thrive and those who struggle. The people who thrive are active, resourceful, and curious. Growing older isn’t a road block, but instead a new phase of advancement and here’s what they do differently:

Play games or solve crossword puzzles, and tackle brain exercises
Volunteer to make a difference
Learn a new hobby or skill
Travel and meet people of different cultures
Grow a vegetable or flower garden
Work part-time to get out of the house
Make friends to build a support team
Attend classes at the library, senior center or community college
Help a neighbor next door
Take cooking classes

The one gold standard that sets thriving and struggling apart is actively making local connections. Quite simply, one must get up and get going — and that means get out of the house and start real-life conversations. Here are a few tips to get started:

Attend meetings and activities at senior centers, you may not create close connections immediately but don’t give up. Go back regularly and as you form new friendships, ask them to lunch and to bring a friend next. Over a few months you’ll enjoy meeting more new friends and seeing the lunch group grow.
Do hobbies and other activities together in addition to lunches. Find local Meetup groups that offer other interests like writing, dancing, hobbies, cooking, walking, and classes to learn technology skills.
Libraries are another wonderful resource to build friendships. The Dallas public library offers free painting classes, exercise and yoga, and book clubs and lots more, so check out your local library.
Volunteer – Check with your local Area Agency on Aging Department to find ways to help the frail and elderly. Other organizations like AARP, the Senior Corp, and Points of Light will steer you to people or pets who have needs.

If you’re open to meeting new people and I hope you are, then pick up the phone or go to the web to locate the organizations online. If you stay at it and make a reasonable effort, I bet you’ll wind up having a lot of fun and adventure with new friends.
Opt-in to my Newsletter called Age with Purpose. Send an email to Carol@seniorcare.com and in the subject line put Newsletter.
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Senior living and housing expenses are significant concerns for older individuals when aging alone, and topics like affordable shelter, transportation, isolation, and lack of connections hold anxiety. Senior Concerns and Needs
The 65 and over age group continues to grow since the boomers now enter the demographic. There are thousands of us on our own, and we are in good company. The elder orphan Facebook group that launched last year now has close to 5,000 members. We face similar challenges, like finding personal care after surgery or if we’re sick and feeling lonely due to isolation.
But it’s not just people living alone that faces these challenges, the married and partnered, and those with adult children have similar concerns. It’s because our most affordable living options are in the suburbs, far from convenient shopping, public transit, and attainable social connections.
It’s the female population that have the greatest numbers in the group category. The statistics show the total seniors in the U.S. to be over 11 million, and of those living alone, 71% are female. Even though men have a higher chance of remarrying, there are a few of them on their own, and many complain about loneliness and isolation.
Research examining loneliness identified functional, psychosocial, and physiologic ill effects, including diminished physical activity, lessened motor function, depression, disrupted sleep, and impaired mental and cognitive function.
Since loneliness is a big concern for older individuals, we must start early and plan when we’re young and healthy enough to set up a lifestyle that minimizes the risks of loneliness, minimal transportation, and living expenses.
The National Institute of Health says that separation is not good for anyone, no matter the age. So, we need to seek out healthy lifestyles like co- and shared housing, independent and assisted living communities, and intentional and intergenerational neighborhoods, all designed to promote connection and support. Each combine the benefits of private homes with those of sustainable living.
All of these lifestyles blend resources for mixed-age communities. Like many, I do not want to age alone. I may live on my own, but, I want to do so in an environment that supports social connections, lifelong learning, fulfilling activities and easy access to transportation. I also want to live in a place that includes all ages, not just the 55+ age group.
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