Fighting Senior Living Loneliness

National Letter to an Elder Day is February 26, a day encouraging people to take a few moments and write a letter to a senior member in the community to bring some joy to their day. The purpose of National Letter to an Elder Day is to help fight loneliness in senior communities.
 
The senior community has long suffered from an epidemic and it isn’t sickness or disease - it’s loneliness. Loneliness and isolation affects nearly half of the U.S. population over the age of 60. 

​A quarter of people over 65, on average, experienced social isolation before the pandemic. Since then, those numbers have grown immensely. Loneliness and social isolation increase the risk of stroke, heart disease, mental health disorders including dementia, and premature mortality.

Many seniors do not receive consistent visits or communication from family members and friends outside of their senior living community or household. 

​Here at Melody senior living in Lake in the Hills, we do our best to create fun community activities and environments that promote healthy social connections with other residents and our staff.

​Weekly activities and outings, along with resident-led clubs, help to bring together residents and staff to decrease feelings of loneliness and isolation within our communities. 

​We all could use an extra pick-me-up sometimes though. Receiving a letter can boost spirits and bring some unexpected joy to a senior’s day, whether you know them or not.

A Life in Harmony™ is waiting for you!

​Some seniors, unfortunately, never get visits from family members, or visits are very few and far between.

​So, take some time today to write a letter to a senior you know, or maybe one you don’t, and drop it off at your nearby senior living community to bring a little extra joy to your community for National Letter to an Elder Day. Who knows, you may just create a future long-time pen pal!

​Engaging with others helps to create social wellness as well as emotional wellness, two key factors of the 8 Dimensions of Wellness, which Melody Living strives to implement into daily life for our residents.

​Come explore and experience the Lake in the Hills senior retirement community that Melody Living has to offer McHenry County residents. Give us a call at 847.957.7070 to reach our assisted living community and memory care community to schedule your VIP tour.