Senior Citizens Guide To How To Not Be Lonely

Senior Citizens Guide to How to Not Be Lonely. As people get older they tend to get lonelier, especially if they outlive a lot of their family and friends. Many elderly either live alone and stay at home, either by choice or by fate. Sometimes, it is difficult for senior citizens to get out of the home and into the community, due to disability or lack of transportation. Sometimes, elderly may even develop a fear of the outside world and this will keep them indoors. Remaining indoors with very few social outlets makes the world seem very small, and potentially depressing. It is important for seniors to realize that they don't have to stay at home and sit idly by as life drones on. Here are some tips for seniors to avoid loneliness, as well as some tips for people to help seniors with loneliness problems.

Guide for Lonely Senior Citizens

Here are some tips for lonely seniors to help avoid loneliness
• If you choose to live in some sort of senior citizen facility, make sure there are plenty of activities available. Or, join a senior community. This will provide you with ample social opportunities with other seniors.
• Social Networking Online for Seniors - There are plenty of ways to reconnect with old friends, or make new ones online. This can be a way to be social right from the home, or a spring board to meet with friends and socialize out in the world
• Social clubs for senior citizens: book clubs, arts and crafts, sports clubs, cooking clubs, knitting clubs, etc. There are plenty of social clubs for seniors
• Gardening - set up a nice garden. This will give you a project, something pretty to look at, something to talk about, and something to share with others.
• Knitting, sewing, crochet, latch hook and more arts and crafts hobbies. Even if you don't join a club, hobbies are a fulfilling way to spend your time
• Redecorating their home for the season. Spruce up the house, do a little spring cleaning. It'll make you feel better about your home.
• Volunteer programs are a great way for senior citizens to spend their time, socialize, contribute to society, and meet good people.
• Getting a pet is almost an instant cure for senior loneliness.
• Get involved with some kind of exercise activities like dance, going to the gym, yoga, meditation classes aerobics, swim classes and so many others. Exercise elevates endorphin levels and physiologically prevents loneliness
• Go to church. Religious groups provide an opportunity to socialize, and the belief in a higher power has a positive emotional effect.
• Get a job. There are many jobs seniors can do. This provides a social opportunity, a way to spend your time, and more money!
• Go on a vacation. Enough Said.

Tips to Help Lonely Senior Citizens

Anyone can help lonely seniors. Whether you are young, old, lonely, or happy. You may be a lonely senior citizen, but you can still help other lonely seniors, and help yourself in the process!

• If you have senior citizens in your life, be they friend or family member, visit them! Once a week is a great start. Even if you are the only person visiting them, this will do wonders for their emotional state, and help rebuild social confidence.
• If you are involved in their life take them out to lunch, get their hair, nails, toes done or take them for a nice spa treatment. Or you can just sit and have coffee or tea with them and good conversation. Seniors love to talk about their childhood most of the time and love to go for a stroll down memory lane.
• If you know a senior who may be suffering from loneliness, try to help them meet other people, especially other seniors. They will relate best to other people living in their golden age.
• Perhaps you know a senior who is living in less than ideal living conditions. If you can help them move to a place that provides more social and recreational activities, this will be one of the greatest gifts you can give them.

These are just a few ideas of things to prevent senior citizens from getting lonely and stuck in the house with nothing to do except stare at a TV, sleep and day dream. I guarantee you if you get involved with any of these suggestions this will take some if not all of you loneliness away and make you smile again! And if you can help a lonely senior break out of depression, you will feel good about it for the rest of your life.