Yes, friendship is very important for older people! We are seeing that because of physical changes, retirement and loss of loved ones, the ability to develop true friendships is becoming more difficult in our elder years. In many cases, friends are as important as families. We are observing that many people are turning to their friends first when they encounter crisis because of the distance of their family. |
Casual friendships can help, but one very close friend can do so much to help relieve stress and depression as a close friendship provides emotional support as friends are relied on to give comfort, help and to share and inform each other of things that are happening in their lives.
In addition to emotional support, friendship can help enrich a person’s physical, mental and social health and help us adjust to changes through the rewarding and challenging times of life.
In our conversation comments this month we would love to hear from you about your experience with a friendship or friendships – are they important and do you have a story to tell?