One of the biggest fears I have about getting old is the increased chance that I will develop Alzheimer’s and/or dementia the thought that I will forget my friends my family, and my life is horrifying. I have witnessed its effects on its victims and the toll it takes on their family members. There are groups that are working to find the root of this terrible affliction and stamp it out. There have been many advancements on the frontier of Alzheimer’s research, and one of the biggest I have found is the power of interacting with other people.
Why getting out is so important.
Whether you want to believe it or not we humans are social beings. Yeah some of us may be OK with being alone for a bit, we can’t spend all of our time alone. The effect of no social interaction is devastating to our minds. When we don’t have proper amounts of social interactions then we start to act like we have dementia. There is emotional and mental damage that is done when A person spends too much time alone. So why is social interaction so important?
It works our brain
According to Psychology Today one of the biggest reasons that we need others around is because it exercises our brain. When we are talking to other people our brain isn’t just looking for when we need to insert our opinion but also there is a whole dance we do with the other people in the group. We also are gathering other more subtle bits of information.
- Listening and taking in information
- Assigning a meaning to this information
- Analyzing the information in the context of the broader conversation
- Interpreting conscious/subconscious cues that come with interaction (i.e. body language, voice inflection, eye contact)
- Igniting our working memory to effectively navigate through conversations
- Monitoring impulse and inhibition controls to ensure appropriate interactions
So with all that interaction, you can see how your brain can get a workout. Hearing a string of words and deciding what those words mean. Try to figure out if those words suppose to mean something different. Apply the proper context to the words. Then on top of that examine the facial expressions and body language and put it all together so you can have the full understanding. WHEW! That is a lot to do and it is great for our minds to do that very thing.
So meeting new people, and seeing old friends Is great. However, you do want to know that simply cohabitating with another person doesn’t help. That is because the interactions don’t contain all the same elements that meeting someone new out in public does. So to say that a grandchild living with grandma is social interaction is wrong thinking. Grandma needs to get out of the house and go interact with people their own age and make new friends.
It fights off depression
Social interactions can be an effective way to fight off depression. Here are some ways social interactions can help:
Provides a support system: Social interaction can provide a support system for individuals who are struggling with depression. Talking to friends or family members about one’s feelings and problems can help provide emotional support, which can help individuals cope with their symptoms.
Offers distraction: Social interactions can also serve as a distraction from negative thoughts and feelings that contribute to depression. Engaging in social activities can help individuals focus on positive experiences and shift their attention away from their problems.
Increases feelings of belonging: Social interactions can increase feelings of belonging and connection to others. This can help individuals feel less isolated and alone, which can be beneficial in combating the feelings of hopelessness and despair associated with depression.
Provides a sense of purpose: Social interactions can also provide individuals with a sense of purpose and meaning. Participating in activities with others can give individuals a sense of accomplishment and boost their self-esteem.
Overall, social interactions can provide a range of benefits for individuals struggling with depression. However, it’s important to note that depression can make it difficult for individuals to engage in social activities. Seeking professional help, such as therapy or medication, may also be necessary to effectively manage depression.
Social Interactions reduce aggravation
Now if you think back I am sure you have met more than your fair share of angry belligerent old men and women. Often these people are seemingly angry at the world because they don’t have normal social interaction with other humans. When a person starts going down in cognitive decline they can start suffering from the following conditions:
- Confusion and disorientation
- Memory loss
- A decline in coordination with motor functions
- Depression, anxiety, paranoia, and agitation
- Difficulty managing complex tasks, critical thinking skills, planning, and organization
- Difficulty with verbal expression
- Hallucinations
- Inappropriate behavior
- Personality changes
- Struggles with visual or spatial abilities
- Trouble with problem-solving or reasoning
That can make any world scary and with that fear, you would be in a state of anger and resentment too. That is a lot going on. Just add the confusion to the mix and things spin out of control quickly. You can actually start to use social interactions to see how well your loved one is doing. If they are struggling to keep up with normal conversations then you might need to see a doctor and see what is going on.
what can you do?
Dementia Care Central talks about how you can improve social interaction with a person who has dementia. These tips help are sound and can support a person struggling with Dementia. With your Elder loved one, depending on what they are able to do you might be able to do other things.
Church
Sadly church attendance is on the decline. This is an important staple in people’s lives. The church does more than beat people over the head with scripture telling them how horrible they are for being a sinner. That is actually a huge misrepresentation that society does to churches. The Church, no matter the denomination or branch of religion provides a tremendous service to the elderly in the community. The big one is a place for senior citizens to go and be with others their age. They are able to have regular interactions with people.
Encourage Social Interaction in your Senior
Now you can also help your seniors by encouraging them to get out and mingle with other folks Get out into the community and help where they can
Volunteer
One way folks can help in the community and allows them to also interact with other people is to volunteer. Wither it is with the local food pantry or in a local nonprofit.
GO out to a museum
There are many different museums located in Western Oklahoma. Elk City itself has a museum complex that is second to none. From the Farm and Ranch Museum to the old town, to Route 66 museum The opportunity to walk and meet people from other parts of the world are very easy to do at museums. If your loved one likes Route 66 you might also take them to the Route 66 Museum in Clinton, OK.
If they dont like the Mother Road then maybe they are intereseted in Air and or Space travel. If that is the case then the Tom Stafford Air and Space Museum is simply one of the best spots to go see. While in Weatherford, OK you can also check out The Heartland Museum. This museum is all about who the peopel of the heartland are and why they matter.
Then ther eare the differnt lakes that are in the area. The biggest being Foss Lake and Clinton Lake. Thats just scratching the surface of what people can do in this neck of the woods.
What is they cant get out that easily
If a person is a bit more home-bound there are other solutions you can use for them too. For one you can heve friends go and visit them. You can also find special reasons that they can leave.
Another solution is using a companion sitter service to go in on a regular basis and interact with your loved one. As for us whe often go in to some of our clients homes for the oppertunity to cook breakfast and to do some light clean up. While we are doing this we are talking and interacting with our client. We are at times asked to sit and watch television with them.
The key is to be socialble. Peopel need the socila interaction at all stages of life. WIth out that interaction we lose so much.