Did you know that multiple studies from around the world show that people get happier and more satisfied with their lives as they get older? A 20-year longitudinal study from Australia concluded that symptoms of negative mood and depression decrease significantly as women move from mid-life (ages 50 to 64) to later life (ages 65 and older). A survey of more than 300,000 adults throughout the UK found that happiness, life satisfaction, and the feeling that life is worthwhile peak after age 65. A University of Warwick study showed that happiness levels follow a U-shaped curve through life, hitting their lowest point in the mid-40s before lifting again in older years.
This is just some of the research that suggests that many people’s happiest years are also their eldest ones — which certainly makes our job easier! At Your Healing Touch in Indiana, our mission is to help you age with dignity, grace, and satisfaction in the comfort of your home. Our home health care providers can offer any degree of personalized care, whether you are looking for round-the-clock medical supervision or simply someone to help you run errands.
In today’s post, we’re celebrating some of the best parts of growing older. Read on to learn more, and if you’d like to know more about our home health agency, please contact us today.
When people picture their retirement years, many look forward to having free time to travel, relax, pursue their hobbies. But research suggests that one of the best ways you can spend all that free time is with your friends and family.
Without the burden of a regular working schedule, senior citizens have more time than ever to nurture their relationships with their spouses, children, grandchildren, and friends. Even if you live apart from your loved ones, modern technology has expanded the ways we can connect, making it possible for you to share special moments even from afar.
In spite of having extra time to spend with friends and family, many seniors are vulnerable to social isolation due to reduced mobility, difficulty using technology, and difficulty planning visits. Our home care agency in Indiana can help you stay connected to your loved ones as you grow older. Whether you need someone to assist with transportation to visit family and friends, to help with using communication technology, or to help you manage your schedule for plenty of quality time, our home health aides are here to help.
When Smithsonian Magazine conducted an investigation into the emotional and intellectual benefits of aging, they found multiple studies that suggested senior citizens have better social skills on average than younger generations. In one study, researchers asked participants to read “Dear Abby” letters and then provide hypothetical advice to the authors. They concluded that “subjects in their 60s were better than younger ones at imagining different points of view, thinking of multiple resolutions, and suggesting compromises.”
“Older and wiser” may be a cliche, but the science backs it up. Another study described in the Smithsonian article found that seniors have much better emotional control than younger age groups. Researchers created a gambling game that was specifically designed to induce regret, and while 20-somethings agonized over losing and took greater risks later in the game to try and redeem their losses, 60-somethings rolled with the punches, leading to greater success overall.
When you are young, it can often seem like you are always working toward something, looking to the next goal to reach, hill to climb, milestone to pass. People seem to be hard-wired to always strive towards more. While it’s good to work towards goals, it’s hard to ever feel truly content without taking the time to appreciate how far you have already come.
Older adults past retirement age tend to be more reflective than younger generations, and more appreciative of what they have accomplished. These don’t need to be huge, world-changing feats — you don’t have to write the next great American novel, find the cure for cancer, or travel to every country in the world in order to feel proud of what you have done. Many seemingly ordinary achievements — finding your calling, being part of a family, raising happy children, or retiring from a job well done — can be a source of deep contentment in older age.
Growing old is a universal human experience, and like every era of life, it comes with unique challenges and opportunities. The majority of people have the most free time and are the happiest, wisest, least busy, and most financially stable they’ve ever been once they pass 65 years of age. This makes your elder years the perfect time in your life to indulge new dreams and passions, repair and nurture lost relationships, and decide how you want to spend your life on your terms.
At our home health care agency in Indiana, we are dedicated to helping you enjoy your older years to the fullest from the comfort of your own home. Our home health aides can provide specialized medical or non-medical care for every level of independence.
Contact the Your Healing Touch team today to learn more about how our home health care agency can help you or your loved one age with grace, dignity, and happiness.
