The Importance of Companionship for Seniors

Since the US Surgeon General published an advisory on the detrimental effects of loneliness in 2023, the benefits of socializing have become part of our health conversation. Companionship for elderly Americans has emerged as a key factor in keeping seniors physically and mentally healthy, as well as happy and purposeful.

Why Is Companionship Important?

Friendship and companionship are crucial to several aspects of senior health:

• Emotional benefits: Socializing provides the emotional benefits of connection and conversation. Through forming relationships, seniors avoid becoming socially isolated; instead, they know and are known, leading to a sense of belonging, kinship, and emotional security. This breeds a sunnier outlook on life, protecting seniors from depression and anxiety.
• Cognitive benefits: Conversation, games, and activities like book or movie clubs provide intellectual engagement that keeps the mind and memory sharper. Companionship offers the chance to keep using one’s wits, imagination, and recall, protecting against cognitive decline.
• Physical benefits: Seniors who socialize are more likely to have active lifestyles and get regular exercise in the form of walking, dancing, group classes, and similar activities. They also have more people to call when emergencies arise, and have more people checking in on them regularly, keeping them safer. In addition, emotional and mental support positively impact physical health and wellness, as the Surgeon General has noted in the loneliness report.

Barriers to Elderly Companionship

Many seniors face difficulties, however, in keeping up a lively, consistent social life. For some, illness makes them unable to leave home or tolerate more than a short stint around groups. Problems with hearing, sight, fatigue, chronic pain, or mobility can render some settings exhausting or unpleasant. Other seniors may not have easy access to transportation for social opportunities.

Still others feel uncertainty in the face of a whole new life phase and befriending new acquaintances in their age group. Many feel more at ease around people they already know—especially family members—and struggle when they live far away or lead busy lives.

These barriers are understandable, but they can be worked with! The benefits of socialization for seniors are so great that this topic is worth raising with your elderly parent, their care providers, and your family.

Companion Care for the Elderly

Families can explore different options available to provide companionship for seniors. There are a few different routes to consider:

• Volunteerism: Local organizations such as animal shelters, soup kitchens, museums, performing arts centers, and park cleanup groups offer the chance to do good and be around others.
• House of worship: Most religious centers offer classes and social or support groups on a regular basis, some even targeted toward seniors. Your loved one may also enjoy attending a weekly religious service, joining a choir, or volunteering with children.
• Community centers: Some towns have senior centers or general community centers with easy-to-access public event calendars. In many cases, senior centers offer their own transportation, such as shuttles.
• Affinity groups/activity groups: Websites such as Meetup, GroupMe, and others offer local options for seniors who enjoy playing cards or Mahjong, knitting, music, crafts, nature walks, and other activities.
• Online groups: For those seniors with health or transportation barriers, online groups offer a way to connect with others and enjoy conversation and support from the comfort of home. This may take the form of Facebook or other social media groups, or you may find forums online centered on topics of interest. (Be sure to speak with your senior loved one about scams and online safety.)
• Virtual options: Video calls, app-based games, and assistive devices like VetAssist Companion can all be part of keeping your loved one company and checking in regularly on their safety. A call service such as Care Call 4 U can provide valuable companionship while also alerting you to early signs of problems with your loved one’s health or home.

More ideas (and some information on respite care, particularly for adult children caring for their parents) can be found here.

Another option to consider is a senior care companion. For homebound seniors, especially those that need assistance with ADLs, regular visits from a trusted, friendly caregiver can lift their spirits and keep close tabs on their wellbeing, as well as help keep them in their own home for longer. Some veterans and spouses of veterans qualify for VA coverage of home care services through the Aid and Attendance benefit (more details here). Starting home-based care can be a difficult hurdle for some families to cross, but in our experience, even those seniors who initially resist the idea end up happy with the benefits to their quality of life.

Loneliness and isolation pose real dangers to our elderly loved ones’ mental and physical health. Whether through a professional caregiver, weekly groups, virtual options, or a mix of several of these ideas, the benefits of companionship can help your loved one lead a fuller, healthier life.

If your loved one needs home care, our VetAssist mission is to make home care easily and quickly accessible for those who qualify through the VA Pension with Aid and Attendance benefit. Veterans Home Care can help you determine whether you or your loved one will be eligible to receive the benefit, which can cover some or all of the cost of home care, and we make it easy to apply. Chat with us via our website, or call us at (888) 314-6075.