Senior Well-Being: The Psychological Factor - Unlimited Care Cottages

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Senior Well-Being: The Psychological Factor

Life changes a lot as you age. The body slows down and sickness speeds up. Quality of life becomes harder and harder to maintain. Seniors have to adjust to physical and mental changes, social changes, and changes in daily activities. It’s commonly believed that diminishing health is the biggest challenge to senior quality of life. New research indicates this may not be true.

Observations on Senior Well-Being

This observational study looked at what scientists call subjective well-being (SWB), or how an individual experiences well-being on a personal level. In other words, your personal outlook on life and your life in particular. These observations indicate senior well being may be more affected by psychological factors than physical factors. Their findings can be summarized with the following three points:

1) SWB Affects Length of Life

There is an observed link between a higher sense of SWB and a lower mortality risk. This means individuals who have a higher sense of well being seem to live longer than those who don’t. This study didn’t explore why this is the case, it only observed it.

2) Physical Factors Have the Least Effect on SWB

Physical factors, such as having multiple chronic medical conditions or physical inactivity, do have a negative effect on SWB. However, the effect of these physical factors is not significant.

3) Anxiety and Depression Affect SWB the Most

The biggest negative influences on SWB come from depression and anxiety. Loneliness among seniors often leads to depression. Loneliness is extremely common among seniors, especially if they live alone. The study showed that living alone was harder on women than men. Everyone is affected by anxiety and depression, however.

A Community to Call Home

For many seniors, assisted living is a great way to maintain a level of independence while getting the daily assistance they need. Having a routine and assistance for daily activities helps reduce anxiety. Living in a community also provides opportunities for social connection which helps with depression.

Care for the Mind and Body

When life slows down and people visit less, it’s easy to get lonely and become depressed. Your senior loved ones need your support, care, and time. They need companionship and social engagement. Remember, senior well-being is largely dependent on it. If they need daily assistance with common activities such as eating, bathing, toileting, and moving, consider finding an assisted living community for them to call home.

Unlimited Care Cottages has several assisted living and memory care communities with cottages located in Kingwood, Spring, Oak Ridge North, and The Woodlands. Contact Us to learn more about our holistic approach to senior well-being or for a tour of one of our cottages.

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