Visits from family always seem to delight elderly relatives, and for good reason! They are a great morale boost and offer many benefits to both the elderly family member, as well as the other family members. Whether you are walking across the street, driving to the nursing home, or flying across the country to visit an elderly family member, know that your visit has a great positive impact.
You can tell from their reaction that seeing family members has an immediate morale boost for the elderly, but there are also other ways that you are not seeing that can boost their morale. Here is how seeing family members boosts the morale of the elderly:
Social Connections
Seeing and visiting with family can provide a huge morale boost for the elderly in the sense that they are enjoying social interactions. As people age, they may leave the house less and find that their social circles are becoming smaller.
Elderly people who may have moved to a nursing home or senior rehabilitation facility, in particular, may feel isolated in their new setting, and would get a huge morale boost from seeing familiar faces and getting to visit with their families.
Seeing family members at home or during a visit at a nursing home can provide elderly people with the social connections they need to share their joys and struggles with those closest to them.
Health Benefits
Another great morale boost for the elderly when they get visits from family members is one you may not be able to see with your own eyes, but exists nonetheless. Studies show that there are several health benefits for senior citizens who have close relationships and visits from family members.
Elderly people who see their family often have longer lives, stronger immune systems, and improved brain health, like better memory and cognitive function. Another benefit to seniors who see family often is improved mental health, which comes from those social interactions. All of these benefits can have a great positive impact on the life of an elderly person.
Reliving Memories
Related to social interactions and the health benefit of cognitive function, another morale boost for the elderly that comes from seeing family is the ability to reminisce. Many elderly people love to tell stories, and seeing family members can give them a platform for sharing and the social interactions of those who have lived some of the memories with them.
Telling stories together and reliving some happy memories can give anyone’s day a boost, and can certainly provide a morale boost for an elderly person seeing their family.
Seeing family members has many positive impacts for elderly people and can thus boost their morale in so many ways. From providing social interaction to reliving good memories to improving the elderly person’s health, there are so many positive ways visiting with family can affect the elderly.
If you can’t get to see your elderly relative in person, even making a phone call, arranging a video call, or sending a letter can provide the morale boost they may need.
