4 Friend-Making Tips for Seniors in Senior Housing
It starts in elementary school when a kid shows up for the first day at a new school. It happens again somewhere down the road when you meet colleagues during the first day at a new job. Wherever it happens, the new kid on the block has to deal with many emotions, which include the emotions that trigger stress and anxiety. Making new friends as the new kid on the block is never easy, regardless of your age. When the time comes to move into a senior housing community in Everett, WA, you have to start over once again as the new kid on the block.
Making friends at an assisted living facility is just as stressful as when you tried to make friends on the first day at a new elementary school. The biggest difference is life experiences have helped you adapt better to a new environment. In addition, making friends at an assisted living facility in Everett involves many of the same strategies you used decades ago to make friends in other types of environments.
With knowledge and experience on your side, let’s look at four friend-making tips for seniors in senior housing.
Take the Initiative
If you have heard the saying, “Take the bull by the horns,” you understand that the saying refers to taking the initiative in whatever you do. The saying has special meaning for seniors trying to make friends in a senior housing facility. You take the bull by the horns every time you stop by a common area and start a conversation with a fellow resident. Subsequent conversations should reveal information such as likes and dislikes, as well as a description of the path in life each of you has taken.
Make Friends During Meals
The best common area to meet new friends in an assisted living community is the dining room during meals. Since the advent of human history, meals have represented the ideal time for people to mingle and get to know each other. At MorningStar at Silver Lake, our culinary staff creates and executes delicious meals that deliver several mental and physical health benefits. Because of the popularity of our culinary program, we experience a high volume of residents for each of the three daily meals served in our dining room.
Participate in Activities
Our memory care facility in Everett is known for its activities calendar, which remains full throughout the year. From movie night to yoga classes, our residents have the opportunity to stay active without ever leaving our assisted living community. With a busy activities calendar, new residents can interact with other residents in a wide variety of environments. Pick the activities that match your interests, and then making new friends should fall in place naturally.
Outings
One of the goals of our team of caregivers at MorningStar at Silver Lake is to offer opportunities for our residents to leave the facility to enjoy life at Everett area venues and attractions. We schedule frequent group outings, which gives our residents more time to spend with friends, as well as meet new friends that would otherwise not get the chance to meet onsite. Our regularly scheduled outings include visits to Everett area restaurants, shopping malls, and cultural events. Not only can seniors meet new friends, but they also cultivate the friendships they have already established.
The Bottom Line: Be Patient
Patience is the key to making friends at an assisted living facility. Making friends takes time in any environment, but especially at a memory care facility. The MorningStar at Silver Lake assisted living facility in Everett, WA gives residents numerous opportunities to meet other residents as the first step for developing friendships. Learn more by contacting one of our resident services representatives.