You’ve just moved into a senior care home. You’re excited about your new life, but you’re also nervous. After all, it’s not every day that you make new friends at the ripe old age of 80! Still, there’s no reason to be anxious about making friends in senior care homes. You just need to follow these tips to ensure your social life is as complete and bright as possible during your golden years:
Don’t Make Assumptions
It’s important to remember that aging loved ones are not all the same. They are unique individuals with their interests, hobbies, and likes. Some may want friendship, but others might still need to be ready for it.
It’s also important to note that you’re not going to be able to change their minds about making friends or getting out of the house more often if they aren’t interested in doing so themselves-and even if you could convince them otherwise, there’s no guarantee it would work out well between two strangers who were coerced into spending time together by someone else!
Don’t Assume You’ll Be The Same As They Are
It’s natural to assume that because you have something in common with a person, you will have many things in common. But this is often not true. You may like the same music and movies as someone else, but that doesn’t mean they’ll be into them as much as you are. You might both like hiking or golfing, but there can be significant differences between how far each person wants to hike or how often they play golf.
It’s also important not to assume that senior care home residents will want to do everything they used to do when they were younger-or, even some things! Some people may find themselves unable to engage in pastimes from long ago due to physical ailments or mental decline (dementia).
Not Taking Advantage Of Activities And Events
One of the best ways to make friends at a senior care home is by getting involved in activities and events. These can range from organized games, like bingo or cards, to more informal events, like movie nights or group dinners. If you still need to do so, take advantage of these opportunities!
- Join a group or club that interests you. Many groups are available at senior care homes, including book clubs, knitting circles, sewing classes, and more. Your community may also have special events such as dances or holiday parties where residents can meet one another face-to-face (and maybe even find a potential partner).
- Volunteer at an event hosted by another department within your care home – maybe they’re hosting an art show or craft fair where visitors can browse items made by local artists/craftspeople while enjoying snacks from local restaurants (or just chatting with each other!). Volunteering is a great way to get out into the community while making new friends simultaneously!
Not Engaging With Other Residents
It is easy to be afraid of making mistakes. You may worry that asking questions will make you look stupid or that asking for help will make others think less of you. But these fears are unfounded because most residents love to share their knowledge with younger people and love being asked questions about themselves and their pasts.
So don’t be afraid to ask questions or make requests when necessary, whether it’s getting more support from team members (like having someone accompany you outside), getting extra time with family members who often visit enough but don’t always have much time left over after visiting hours end each day, all these things are important parts of living well at any age!
