Why are Relationships Important as we Age?

Author

Primrose Independent Retirement Community

Posted on

Feb 09, 2022

Book/Edition

Colorado - Southern Colorado

Happy, positive relationships play a major role in our mental and physical wellness. As humans, we crave socialization and the ability to connect with others who share our same values, passions, and circumstances.
Relationships are not limited to family or spouses, however. You may have close friends, neighbors, or community church members with whom youve formed strong connections over the years.
From coordinating our day with our spouse and children, collaborating with coworkers, and saying hello to our favorite grocery cashier, loving relationships sustain us, define us, and keep us healthy, (University of Utah).
As we celebrate the season of love (i.e., Valentines Day), we thought wed take a moment to reflect on the benefits of healthy relationships. Also, we wanted to share how Primrose Retirement Communities work to create safe, fun, and social opportunities for residents to gather and build lasting friendships.
Before we discuss the benefits of being in a relationship, lets first review what we mean by healthy relationships.
Signs of a Healthy Relationship

Trust:No matter what type of relationship youre in, mutual trust should always be a top priority. This means knowing you can always rely on this person. It also means feeling safe in this persons presence both emotionally and physically.

Although weve listed a few other examples below, trust is always at the heart of a healthy relationship. In fact, it makes the other traits possible.

Communication: Having trust also means you can talk to this individual freely without fear of ridicule or judgment. Youre able to be open and honest in your interactions.
Support: Having someone who has your back during both the good times and challenging ones is essential. With so many changes in the world happening at lightning speed these days, it really is invaluable to find a friend you can count on to listen to your concerns and hold your hand through the journey ahead.
Respect: Respecting someone for both his or her similarities and differences is important. This levels the playing field and allows each person to feel equal in the relationship meaning that your contributions to the friendship are both appreciated and valued.
Fun: Lets not forget that you should also be able to have fun with this person. You want someone who can make you laugh. Someone who enjoys the types of hobbies you like.

Relationship Benefits
Now that we know what to look for in a healthy relationship, lets review why theyre important. And how they can benefit us long term.
Its reported that when youre engaged in a healthy relationship, you can expect less stress, a stronger immune system, and a longer lifespan:
studies show that people who engage in supportive, positive relationships produce more oxytocin and seem less likely to succumb to the negative effects of stress, anxiety, and depression, (University of Utah).
We mentioned Valentines Day earlier, but did you know that positive relationships are also good for the heart? Clinical research continues to demonstrate how relationships can help lower cholesterol, blood pressure, and encourage us to pursue healthier lifestyles:
Studies have shown physical intimacy, such as holding hands or hugging, can lower levels of stress hormones[b]ut relationships play a bigger role beyond regulating stressA supportive partner might encourage you in healthy ways to exercise or eat better or see a doctor when you need one, (American Heart Association).
Why Relationships Are Importantat Primrose
After what felt like a never-ending period of lockdowns and social isolation, maintaining positive relationships were certainly put to the ultimate test. But, unfortunately, not everyone was able to receive the type of human contact and support they needed during that time, leading torises in anxiety and depression.
At Primrose, our focus has always been to provide residents with access to safe, fun, and entertaining weekly calendar activities. We design these activities to help them build new friendships and surround themselves with a strong support system.
In fact, each one of our communities has a team of life enrichment coordinators. These individuals are responsible for creating group activities that inspire, educate, and bring residents together.
Activities we offer, but are not limited to, include:

Bingo
Movie nights
Ice cream socials
Group wellness programs
Pet therapy
Game nights
Arts and crafts
And More!

In addition to our weekly events, each community also offers access to achapel for praise and worship, library, wellness center, beauty salon, game room, and lifelong learning opportunities.
Our Primrose Senior University, for instance, allows residents to attend in-person courses. Topics may range from ancient civilizations and mythology to favorite pastimes and local historic landmarks. These educational programs provide residents with new opportunities to expand their minds while they learn, create, and engage with each other on a diverse variety of subjects.
To find what type of exciting and social activities are happening at a Primrose near you, check out ourcommunities page. You can then select a Primrose in your area. From there, youll be able to browse our endless amenities and activities!
Building Friendships & Transforming Lives
At Primrose, we want your first positive relationship to be with our team, who will respect, support, and encourage you to live each day to its fullest potential. And our goal is to build trust with you, so you start seeing us more as family.

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