Today’s society holds marriage up as something we should all strive for. Unfortunately, this means they don’t understand people who don’t get married, as well as those who get divorced or become widowed because they live alone. What they fail to understand is that you can still feel “lonely” even when you’re in a relationship. This is especially true if your relationship is unhappy or lacks communication. This doesn’t mean that those who choose to live alone don’t get lonely. What it means is that even people in relationships still get lonely.
A Look at Today’s Relationship Demographics
Many young people have chosen to live alone today. In fact, about 15 million people under the age of 65 have actively chosen to live alone. This in and of itself should prove that living alone doesn’t make a senior citizen unhappy. In fact, their health and happiness are just as good as those who are in a relationship. Of course, they do have some concerns that should be taken seriously – like illness, isolation because they’ve become homebound, and losing mobility. These things may make you rethink your priorities.
Rethinking Your Relationship Health Priorities as a Senior
About 62% of the 1,604 seniors (age 60+) who underwent a study at the University of California in San Francisco said they felt isolated, left out, and lacking companionship. Surprisingly, they were married. This should change the way we look at relationships with this demographic.
Planning for Senior Relationship Health
It’s only natural to long for meaningful relationships and social connections. Many people believe this is why more senior citizens are using online dating sites to connect with other people or make friends – not necessarily to find a “lifetime partner.” Of course, there are many other great ways you can also grow your social circle. For instance, it’s relatively easy to make online friendships today to supplement your real-life relationships.
When you’re interested in forming online relationships you can easily find many great websites, forums, and chat rooms to use for interacting with others. One of the easiest places to head is Facebook. This is a great place to chat with people, find out what your friends are doing, and play games with them (e.g. Word with Friends – something that will also help your mental health).
One Final Note
Another important part of helping the senior in your life have high-quality relationships is to make sure that they’re hearing health is working well for them. As we all know, when we’re unable to hear what’s going on around us, we’re unable to have healthy relationships. Countryside Hearing Aid Services is here to help you with this so make sure you contact them today.
All of us need social interactions in our lives, even when we need to live alone. It’s important to remember that this doesn’t guarantee loneliness, just like living with someone doesn’t guarantee happiness. It’s up to each of us individually to take steps to make sure we’re healthy by maintaining the social connections we need, regardless of our lifestyle choices.
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